Somniloquy
by The Second Coming
Summary: Kagome was well accustomed to nightmares. But what happens when the nightmare begins to mingle with reality, and the line between sleeping and waking begins to thin?
1. The Dream

**A/N: **I don't know how wise it is to be starting a big project while I'm still the in the middle of another one ("Divergence"), but this bunny absolutely would not leave me alone. It's not a terribly new concept by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it could be pretty interesting to play with. Anyway, I'm very fond of this — I expect it will be quite long, so I've enlisted help for this.

**Eternal Gratitude** goes out to the ever-lovely Incomprehensible, who kindly helped me whip this into something legible and comprehensible.

I plan to update this weekly at this point, so expect to hear again from me next Tuesday. I hope you enjoy. As always, feedback is appreciated. I actually _like _people who sit there and nitpick; they make me a better writer. :P

—

_**Prologue: The Dream**_

—

"_Dreams are like stars… you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead you to your destiny."_

Unknown_._

—

"Keh," Inuyasha muttered mulishly, his white doggy ears flicking back to lay flat against his head in a gesture of irritation. "I hope this means you're back for good now."

Kagome tossed her over-stuffed yellow bag over the rim of the well, and huffed. "For now," she gritted out, clenching her teeth and preparing to pull herself up and over the edge. _I really hate this thing_, she thought bitterly, digging her feet into the rudimentary foot-holds she'd carved ages ago.

They were starting to get very worn, she noted in concern. They really needed to be fixed. _Next time_, she promised herself, like always.

There probably wouldn't _be_ a "next time". It was just one of those things she'd always mean to do, but never get around to. Despite her remarkable ability to complete her homework 500 years before it was assigned, she never seemed to have enough time.

Kagome looked up in surprise when Inuyasha's callused hand wrapped itself firmly around her wrist and helped her out of the well. "Thanks," she murmured softly, blushing as his hand remained on her arm longer than strictly necessary after she had gained her feet.

"Keh," he said again, releasing her arm abruptly, almost as if it had burned him, and looking away, a red blush dusting over his cheeks. "Maybe we'll finally get some shard hunting done now!" He declared, louder than was crucial in Kagome's opinion.

"I have to go back in a month for finals," she reminded him quietly, but he ignored her. Kagome sighed.

It was clearly a fight he was determined to have later, which really wasn't something she minded. Right now all she really wanted to do was see her friends, and hunt down Naraku.

"Are you coming or what?" Inuyasha shouted over his shoulder, standing on the other side of the glade, his amber eyes impatient as he stared at her.

"Coming!" She called back, gathering her bag and jogging after him, wincing as the heavy pack settled on her sore shoulders.

_I wonder what it's like to have muscles that don't ache._ She wondered, her eyes trained on Inuyasha's hair as it swung from side to side down his back as he walked.

Shippou, overjoyed to see her, launched himself into her arms as soon as she entered the outskirts of Edo, bouncing with joy.

"Did you bring me anything?" He asked enthusiastically, pawing at her pack; sticking his head right inside, leaving only his tail poking out the top.

"I think you might be getting spoiled," she remarked drily as they reached Kaede's hut. Setting the pack down and reaching into its depths, Kagome pulled a cherry-flavoured lollipop out, handing it to the eager kitsune.

"Yes!" Shippou shouted enthusiastically, pumping his small fist into the air. "Thanks, Kagome!"

She watched as Shippou scampered off, the lollipop clutched firmly in his hand, taken off to be devoured somewhere else. A tender smile graced her lips and she turned away.

"Welcome back," Sango greeted, smiling happily as she stepped forward to hug her friend.

"I hope your family is well?" Miroku asked in lieu of welcome, always the courteous man.

"They're fine, thanks!" Kagome enthused, dropping to her knees to root around in her backpack. "Actually, momma sent me with some rice balls and sushi, so we can probably have that for lunch!"

Everyone, with the exception of Inuyasha, perked up at the mention of food. While Kagome was a good cook, it could be argued that her mother was even better, and it _had_ been a while since they'd had a hot meal that didn't consist of canned or packaged food.

"Oy!" Inuyasha yelled, moving away from the wall he'd been leaning against. "We're leaving!" The hanyou declared brashly. "We've been sitting around for too long anyway. Naraku's probably found somewhere new to hide! The cowardly bastard..." he muttered.

"Sorry," Kagome mumbled hesitantly, feeling guilty for holding the group back. _Inuyasha's right. We probably could be halfway across Japan by now, if I hadn't needed to go home._

"It's hardly your fault, Kagome," Sango said, brushing her concerns aside gently upon seeing her hesitation, and apparently palpable guilt. "It's important to see your family regularly."

She knew that the taijiya was thinking of her brother, Kohaku, and she smiled encouragingly. "Thanks, Sango," she replied, feeling a little despair for her friend and her familial predicament.

"Are we going or what?" Inuyasha bellowed from outside.

Catching Sango's eye and grinning, Kagome shouted, "Coming, Inuyasha!" And together the party set off down the familiar track out into Japan's wilderness, all of them ignoring Inuyasha's muttering about cowardly spiders and getting his hands on them.

—

"Ohh, my feet," Kagome moaned, pulling her shoes off and massaging her abused extremities. She brought her arms up above her head, stretching out her strained muscles, and rolled her shoulders to try and rid herself of some of the tension.

"The first day back is always the hardest," she groaned, slouching over to touch her toes and then springing back up, happy to hear her spine cracking, signalling that it had successfully realigned itself.

"If you're sore, I would be more than happy to—"

"No," both girls replied firmly, cutting Miroku off with a glare. "That will _not_ be necessary, houshi_,_" Sango asserted icily, reaching over to grasp Hiraikotsu's leather straps.

"I was merely offering to assist—"

Sango snorted loudly in derision, and Kagome couldn't help but smile. They were eclectic, sure, but the strange little group had become as close as family to her, and it was comforting to be back with them again, even if she had only been gone for a week.

She watched Sango and Miroku argue with an almost absurd fondness as Shippou climbed into her lap and curled up sleepily. "Geez," he remarked, following her gaze over to where Miroku was sitting calmly, his hand twitching and a goofy sort of smile on his face. "Will he ever learn?"

"Probably not." Kagome chirped cheerfully.

Shippou grinned, and she looked down at him fondly. "Should we get ready for bed?"

Shippou, still grinning, nodded and proceeded to go through the rituals of unrolling Kagome's sleeping bag and preparing for sleep.

Kagome grimaced as she brushed her teeth, the muscles in her arm protesting fiercely after carrying her huge pack around all day.

Her eyes flickered to where Inuyasha sat, somewhat outside the circle, perched in the lowest branch of a nearby tree, his gazed trained on the forest around them and his ears swivelling madly to keep track of the night time noises all around.

Unconsciously her gaze softened, watching him sit all alone. She'd given up on trying to get him to join the group at night. It had been an argument that hadn't ended well when she had asked him why he didn't sit closer and he had snappily said that she snored too loudly for him to hear anything else that was going on unless he sat up a tree. She'd stomped off furiously after that, and spent the rest of that evening and following day pointedly ignoring him.

Kagome sincerely doubted that he'd taken the hint (or, if he had, not known what to do with it), but the act of giving him the cold shoulder was therapeutic in itself.

Still, she had little doubt that it was out of a need to protect the rest of them that he sat in the tree all alone. She didn't doubt that he considered himself the official leader of their little haphazard group of champions, and, all things considered, he was. Though he'd never admit it, it was a duty that he took very seriously.

Her gaze drifted down to the sword that he clutched protectively to his breast, and her heart swelled with pride.

He had deserved that sword, even if he'd had to hack his half-brother's arm off to get it (something that he remained horribly proud of, and she remained horribly conflicted over). Despite everything, he had protected her faithfully from everything that had been thrown their way (and in all fairness, it was quite a bit).

She just wished he was able to do with words what he did so easily with his sword.

Kagome sighed. _Why does every train of thought that starts with Inuyasha end up somewhere depressin__g? _She asked herself, and then shook her head. She was just tired, she assured herself.

Shippou, with surprising perceptiveness, placed a small hand on top of her own, his wide green eyes looking up at her inquisitively.

She rinsed her mouth of the toothpaste, and dumped the small basin of water she'd used out onto the ground, outside the circle of their camp, flicking her toothbrush dry with her thumb.

"It's nothing," she told him as she returned to her sleeping bag, putting the toothbrush away and brushing Shippou's bangs from his forehead. He frowned, scrutinizing her intently for a moment, and she got the distinct impression that he wasn't fooled in the least. However, he chose to drop the subject, crawling into her sleeping bag and curling up next to her as she crawled in after him.

"G'night, Kagome," he murmured, already half asleep.

"Goodnight, Shippou," she replied softly and then raised her voice slightly to the other people in the camp. "Goodnight Sango, Miroku. Goodnight, Inuyasha."

A chorus of 'goodnight' and a single 'keh' met her ears as she succumbed gratefully to slumber.

—

She was standing next to the Bone Eater's Well, the forest just beyond eerily silent and foreboding. Kagome glanced around nervously, her stomach churning with dread. She knew exactly what was coming.

Her bow and arrows were absent, as always, and her backpack gone. She bit her lip, looking for an escape, anything to stop_ it_ from happening again.

It wasn't a nightmare in the traditional sense — although she had her fair share of those, too. No monsters coming from under the bed, or unexpected nakedness, but it had been the same dream for weeks, and this time it was no different. Over and over, every time Kagome closed her eyes, she was transported there.

The clouds above her head began to gather, growing darker and darker, churning ominously and rumbling with thunder where they came together.

She flinched, dashing for the trees, hoping in vain that they would provide comfort or protection. They never did.

The wind around her began to pick up, raging furiously, whipping ebony locks and strands of her hair around, slapping the side of her face with surprising force, and covering her eyes.

Kagome screamed, but the sound was lost to the din of the raging wind and booming thunder. The rain began to pelt down, the sky cracking open with lightning as it fell, pricking her skin and stinging where it made contact.

Kagome ran blindly, seeking relief from the storm as the forest around her burst into flames. The wind blew her down and she collapsed, curling up into a ball as the tempest around her strove to beat her down.

She heard shrieking, but she couldn't tell if it was just the wind whistling through the trees or her own. Slowly, she began to struggle to her feet, half crawling, and searching for a refuge from the storm.

Squinting her eyes against the rain and wind, Kagome moved forwards, stumbling drunkenly through the storm, but stopped suddenly when she ran into a pair of black boots.

Unthinkingly, she grabbed hold of the legs in front of her, clinging to them desperately, weeping with relief.

Slowly, the wind and rain began to abate, and the storm calmed. Still, Kagome clung desperately to her saviour, her body racked with fatigued sobs.

The world stilled around her and the sun began to peek out from behind the clouds again, and slowly Kagome began to stop crying, dissolving into exhausted hiccups. Kagome leaned against the legs of her saviour, wiping her eyes with shaking hands.

"Miko," a very familiar and entirely terrifying voice asserted from somewhere above her head.

Kagome shot back as if she had been electrocuted, scuttling crab-like on her hands and legs and collapsing inelegantly on her butt as she looked up in horror at the face of her rescuer.

"S-Sesshoumaru?" she asked in mixed disbelief and mortification. _Of all the people for my subconscious to come up with! _Her mind thought giddily, and she suppressed the desire to giggle.

Sesshoumaru frowned, looking down at her bemusedly, as if he were unsure what exactly was going on, or what he should do with her. Some small portion of her mind (the rational part, that was) registered that as a very good thing, as it meant he hadn't decided to kill her. Yet.

"I'm really, really sorry," she apologized, the words tumbling from her lips before she could stop them. If anything, he looked even more puzzled. "For grabbing on to you like that," she clarified. _I'm apologising to someone who isn't even here,_ she thought hysterically. _Why can't I ever have normal dreams? Is a simple dream about showing up at school naked _really_ too much to ask_?

"What is this place?" Sesshoumaru asked, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the now peaceful wilderness.

"Umm," she said intelligently, wondering what exactly her subconscious was trying to tell her. "It's Inuyasha's forest?" She asked, unsure if that was the right answer he had been looking for. Or wanted, for that matter.

Sesshoumaru's frown intensified at the mention of the hanyou, and she bit her lip nervously, rising shakily to her feet.

He glanced briefly at her, before returning his honeyed gaze to the surrounding forest.

Kagome stared at him, twisting her hands in the hem of her shirt nervously, waiting for him to do something. Or say something. Waiting for him to do _anything, _really.

Finally, after what seemed like an agonising eternity of silence, Kagome spoke, unable to take the silence anymore. "Sesshoumaru?"

He ignored her, pointedly looking off into the distance. She bit her lip and then tried again. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" She asked as differentially as she could.

He turned to look at her, his gaze vaguely curious as he waited for her to speak. "Thank you," she said earnestly. He blinked, his brows drawing together slightly, but said nothing. "For calming the storm," she stated after a moment, shyly gesturing to the forest around them, no longer showing signs of the chaos they had been through only moments before.

"This Sesshoumaru did nothing." He deadpanned.

"Um, right," she replied, and then grinned in a self-depreciating way. "Thanks anyway."

He gave a small huff of annoyance and turned away, but she felt her grin widen as she left the glade in peace, fading silently from sight.

Sesshoumaru glanced back at her briefly, his eyes widening as he saw her, and she smiled at him just as she disappeared.

Kagome woke with a start, her heart thudding erratically in her chest, the image of Sesshoumaru's golden eyes still resonating in her mind.

Miles away, Sesshoumaru snapped back into wakefulness, thoughts of his half-brother's miko spinning wildly through his head.

—


	2. Awakening

**A huge thank-you, and eternal gratitude** to the ever-lovely, and always funny Incomprehensible, who beta'd this and turned it into something legible. You're my hero! :)

And I'm actually on time with this. Go me! The next update will come a week from today, but until then please let me know what you think! Feedback helps make me a better writer (and is met with gratitude and e-cookies).

—

_**Chapter 1: Awakening**_

—

_"All life is transitory, a dream. We all come together in the same place, at the end of time. If I don't see you again here, I will see you, in a little while, in a place where no shadows fall."_

Delenn, Babylon 5.

—

"Are you okay?"

Kagome twitched, startled by the sound of Sango's voice which effectively tore her from her reverie.

"Sorry," the taijiya amended a moment later. "I didn't mean to startle you, but you've been lost in thought all day." She smiled teasingly, poking the younger woman in the arm. "Even Inuyasha noticed."

At the mention of his name, the hanyou turned and looked at the two women inquisitively. Kagome smiled and Inuyasha nodded, returning his gaze to the path ahead, but the telling way one of his ears remained turned towards the two of them alerted her to the fact that the hanyou was probably listening to every word.

"I'm fine," she replied, meeting Sango's concerned gaze with a smile. "Just a little bit tired. I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"Nightmares?" Sango asked, her voice oddly flat and her face sombre. Now it was Kagome's turn to look concerned. It was unsurprising that Sango had her own share of nightmares, given her history. In fact, Sango's nightmares were probably worse than her own.

She nodded in response.

"Naraku?" Sango prompted, her tone lowering an octave as her face screwed up in contempt.

"Not always," Kagome replied vaguely, waving a hand as if to dispel foul air. "It's been the same dream over and over again lately."

Sango frowned, looking on in interest.

"It always starts with me standing by the well," Kagome began to explain, her hands twisting the hem of her shirt nervously. "And it's usually clear skies, but almost immediately the clouds start coming in and blacking out the sun. And then a thunderstorm starts, and the wind kicks up so loudly that I can't even hear myself scream..." She trailed off with a shiver. "It sounds a bit stupid," she muttered, looking down at her feet. "But it's terrifying."

"It doesn't sound stupid at all," Sango declared, placing a hand on the younger girl's arm reassuringly. "You say you have it every night?"

Kagome nodded, worrying her lower lip.

Sango frowned pensively. "I wonder if it's some kind of outside influence that's causing it. We should ask Kaede-sama next time we're in Edo to see if you might be affected by any malicious spells."

"It's just a dream," Kagome protested hesitantly, but almost as soon as she'd said the words she thought of Sesshoumaru and his rather odd cameo in her most recent night terror. There had been something distinctly odd about the whole encounter, starting with the fact that her subconscious mind had chosen _Sesshoumaru_ of all people to bring to her rescue.

But his reactions, though frustrating and appropriately vague considering the source, were definitely an odd divergence from the usual course of the dream.

"And, as much as I hate to say it–" Sango continued, "–we should probably let Miroku have a look at you. He might be able to sense an evil aura from a spell, and it would be better to deal with this sooner than later."

"Do you really think that's what it is?" Kagome asked nervously, worry churning in her gut. How could this have happened? And worse yet, how could she not have noticed?

"How long have you been having this dream?" Sango asked.

She shrugged, thinking back over the last couple weeks. "About two, maybe two and a half weeks," she replied at last.

Sango gave her a pointed look and said, "And is that typical for you?"

"No," Kagome replied immediately, her mood deflating as her shoulders hunched. "I guess I'm just cursed."

"If that _is_ the case, then we may be able to fix it." Sango said comfortingly. "What concerns me is that we didn't notice. Why didn't you say something before now?"

"It didn't occur to me," Kagome replied honestly, shrugging sheepishly. "I just assumed it was a dream."

—

True to her word, as soon as they'd stopped for a break, Sango brought Miroku over, explaining the situation to the rest of the group.

"What do you mean something's wrong with Kagome?" Inuyasha snapped, looking her up and down sharply. "She looks fine to me." His brusque manner did little to hide the genuine concern in his eyes, however, and Kagome felt a thrill of happiness roll through her at the notion.

"Having the same dream for nights on end, _especially_ when it's not based on any specific event or memory, is unusual," Sango stated frankly, well used to Inuyasha's quirks and strange ways of expressing concern. "We are simply being prudent," she snapped at him.

"Indeed," Miroku agreed. "However, I sense no evil or malicious intent around Kagome. If it is a spell then it is a remarkably well-cast one."

Sango blinked, and exhaled slowly. "Maybe it _is_ just a dream then." But Kagome could tell that it still bothered the taijiya.

"Well," Kagome said slowly, as if to taste the word on her tongue. "There was one more thing." With that simple sentence she had the group's undivided attention.

Belatedly, Kagome wondered if letting them know about her strange encounter with Sesshoumaru was a good idea. Perhaps she should have picked a better time. When Inuyasha wasn't around, for example. Kagome was sure her dog-eared friend would go through the roof when he heard that Sesshoumaru was in her dreams. Reflecting on that sentence, Kagome came to the conclusion that it _did_ sound a little creepy and perverted.

"Someone came and stopped the storm in my dream last night," she said, fidgeting nervously.

After a brief moment of silence, Inuyasha spoke up. "Well? Who was it?"

"Umm," she said, unsure of quite the best way to break the news to him. She decided just to do it quickly. "ItwasSesshoumaru!" Really, really quickly.

"_What_?" Inuyasha yelled, gripping the hilt of Tetsusaiga as if he expected Sesshoumaru to step out of the bushes at any moment.

"It was Sesshoumaru," she said again, at a slightly more sedated pace, even though butterflies were still fluttering madly in her stomach.

"What did he do?" Shippou asked curiously, his small hand fisting in Kagome's ebony hair, offering comfort. Kagome smiled at him appreciatively.

"He, umm, calmed the storm." She wasn't sure why she was blushing – it wasn't as if he'd done anything particularly odd or mortifying, after all. Granted, she had spent more time than she'd care to admit clinging to his pant leg like the kappa demon she'd seen with him do, but all in all it had gone rather smoothly, considering previous attempts on her life. Kagome remembered one occasion, specifically, where he had tried to melt her.

"How?" Miroku asked, leaning toward Kagome as if it was a great secret she was about to share.

"I'm not really sure," she said, frowning. "He said he didn't do anything, but as soon as he arrived it just... stopped."

The group stared at her silently, unblinkingly, and she fidgeted uncomfortably.

Sango was the first to break the silence. "Well it's not like it was _actually_ Sesshoumaru," she said practically and Kirara mewed as if in agreement. "I suspect that if _he_ was making an appearance, then it was probably just a dream after all."

"Why would Kagome be dreaming about _th__at _bastard?" Inuyasha demanded, glaring accusingly at her as it were her fault her subconscious had chosen to supply him as her knight in shining armour. "It's gotta be a spell!"

"How should I know?" she replied, throwing her hands up in the air. "I haven't a clue why it was Sesshoumaru — I don't know any more than I know why I was dreaming of killer rain in the first place!" Her chest was heaving by the time she had finished her mini-rant, her face flushed and her heart beating three times as fast as normal.

"We have found no evidence that Kagome's predicament is due to outside influence, Inuyasha," Miroku objected, trying to placate his flustered friend. "The storm may simply be a manifestation of Kagome's own worries." He refrained from touching on the subject of Sesshoumaru, for both Kagome and Inuyasha's sakes.

Inuyasha still looked betrayed, and Kagome could just imagine him as a world-weary puppy sitting in a corner, his back to her – ears sagging and all. "Trust me," Kagome said drily. "I wish it had been someone else. _Anyone _else." She paused and thought about what she'd just said. "Well, except Naraku." A flicker of disgust passed over Inuyasha's face.

She smiled. "It wasn't my choice," she told him quietly. "And I doubt it'll happen again. I think I'm officially over that nightmare!" She chirped optimistically, pushing her own worries aside.

For some reason, Inuyasha didn't look particularly appeased by that information, but she was far more alarmed by the strange knowing look she received from Sango than she was about Inuyasha's discomfort at the moment. She had a feeling that a bath was in order when the set up camp later that evening.

—

"This feels _so _good," Kagome moaned, sinking into the hot springs water, a blissful look on her face. "I'm all for modern comforts, but there's nothing that quite compares with a good outdoor bath in a hot spring on a warm summer evening."

Sango smiled as she lathered shampoo into her hair, massaging her scalp with her long, nimble fingers. "Mmm," she agreed happily, sinking down into the warm water.

"There's something you're not telling me," Sango said at length, that same knowing look in her expressive brown eyes that had been there earlier when Kagome had explained her dream.

Kagome sighed; running her fingers across the surface of the water and watching the ripples skitter madly outwards in all directions. "It's silly," she said finally, avoiding Sango's penetrating gaze.

Sango frowned, moving to sit next to the young woman she considered a sister in all but blood. The water splashed around her as Sango moved through the soapy entity.

"Kagome?" Sango asked, placing a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"It's just..." Kagome frowned, watching her fingers trace patterns in the water. "It didn't feel like a normal dream."

Sango's frown deepened. "What do you mean?"

"I don't really know how to describe it," Kagome said, sitting back against the rock shelf she was currently perched comfortably on, and looking up at the clear night sky. "It just felt… odd, somehow. It felt like Sesshoumaru was just as confused as I was to see him." She shrugged it off, sitting up suddenly. "It's probably nothing." She avoided Sango's concerned look by dipping underneath the water, and then beginning to wash her hair.

"Well," Sango declared after a moment of thought. "He's not exactly the sort to come rushing to the rescue. Maybe that's why it felt so odd."

"He saved me from Mukotsu." Kagome corrected, massaging her strawberry shampoo into her long hair.

"Hmm," Sango replied noncommittally, not at all impressed by her friend's defence of the demon lord.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Kagome told Sango forcefully, unsure which of the two of them she was trying to convince. "It was just a dream: I'll probably never dream about him again." She added quietly, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, "At least, I hope not."

"Right," Sango said, sounding like she didn't really think the subject was closed. "It's probably best not to dwell on it anyway. The real Sesshoumaru is dangerous, and it wouldn't do to start confusing the two."

Kagome laughed flatly, a wan smile stretching over her lips. It lacked Kagome's customary warmth, and made Sango uneasy. "I don't think there's much chance of that," she said, before dipping beneath the surface of the spring to rinse her hair out.

Their conversation was put on hold as both girls finished the evening ablutions, and walked back to the camp in silence.

—

"Look, Jaken–" Rin exclaimed, childish excitement radiating from her small frame. "Berries!"

The kappa glanced in her direction briefly, assuring himself that she wasn't wandering off the edge of a cliff, falling into a bee's nest or generally doing anything that would get him in trouble with Sesshoumaru-sama, before returning his gaze to the path ahead.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin called out cheerfully. "May Rin stop and pick berries?"

Sesshoumaru stilled, Ah-Un stopping almost perfectly in synch, leaving only Jaken still plodding forwards obliviously. He didn't reply, but the fact that he was no longer moving was answer enough, and Rin threw him a beatific smile before clambering into the berry bushes, searching for the ripest and the juiciest ones.

"What about this one, Jaken?" She asked, holding up a large, round blackberry the shade of a dark plum. "This one looks good."

"Just pick some so that we can move on!" The kappa yelled in exasperation, "Sesshoumaru-sama has better things to do than wait around for a silly ningen girl to pick berries!"

Rin shrugged off the reprimand with a laugh, tumbling out of the berry bush, her clothes snagged in brambles and her hair askew. "Okay, I'm done!" She announced, holding up a handful of ripe berries as evidence.

Without responding, Sesshoumaru began to move again, his keen gaze sweeping the path ahead.

Rin munched happily on her berries as she walked along side Ah-Un. "Would you like one, Jaken?" She asked, holding out her hand full of sticky treasures.

"No!" Jaken squawked as if the very idea offended him.

"Okay!" Rin replied, undaunted. "What's your favourite kind of berry, Jaken?"

"What kind of a question is that?" The kappa demanded in return, and was met with Rin's happy laughter.

"It's just a question."

Sesshoumaru had long since tuned them out.

He had found that Rin's chatter had become a comfortable background noise – she was not nearly loud enough to distract him from hearing anything vital, and there was something about her happy, and constant, commentary that he greatly preferred to Jaken's long diatribes on his greatness. That was a subject to which he required no reminder: he was well acquainted with his own prowess.

Sensing nothing out of the ordinary, and well aware that most things would be able to sense _him_ and would stay well clear of his little party, Sesshoumaru allowed his mind to wander.

He didn't often dream. At least, not in any manner that was memorable, but he was haunted by the incredible storm that had raged within his own mind the previous night. Never before had he experienced anything like that — nor did he ever wish to again. The pelting rain had stung even him, and though he was loath to admit it, the fact that there was no apparent refuge from the tempest had sent a spark of fear through him.

But the most curious aspect of the whole thing had been the appearance of his half-brother's miko. He had not given his brother's wench much thought, aside from the occasional spark of annoyance and the desire to separate her head from her body. It was startling that his mind would produce _her_ of all people to be present in his dream.

He had attempted to kill her on numerous occasions and that, in itself, was odd, as usually Sesshoumaru did not _attempt_ to kill anything: he simply killed it. Even stranger still, was the fact that she had attempted to kill _him _on numerous occasions.

Things that attempted to kill Sesshoumaru also wound up dead.

His claws flexed, and Sesshoumaru bit down on the desire to go and kill her just for being alive.

Really, she was a stain on his immaculate reputation.

Regardless; her actions, as well has her presence, had been odd – she had thanked him, almost as if she believed that he had deliberately calmed the storm for her.

_What did it mean_?

It was unlikely to occur again. No, he wouldn't allow it to happen again.

Dwelling on his brother's miko wasn't something Sesshoumaru enjoyed, or wanted to do. To him, she was just a bother – a irritating child who had yet to grow into a woman.

Sesshoumaru pushed aside his thoughts, glancing up at the afternoon sky. He would have no more strange dreams of ningen women, and the next time he saw that particular ningen, he would kill her.

Now _that _would have been a satisfying dream.


	3. I'm Only Sleeping

**Eternal gratitude and love **goes out to **Incomprehensible**_**, **_who has kindly offered to beta this story — and is the only reason this chapter is comprehensible at all (the irony is wonderful, no?). Seriously — the first draft of this chapter was _not pretty_, folks.

Incomprehensible — I grovel at your feet. XD

And many thanks to everyone who's been kind enough to take the time to let me know what you've thought of the story so far. I really appreciate your thoughtful feedback!

—

_**Chapter 2: I'm Only Sleeping**_

—

_Please don't wake me, no, don't shake me_

_Leave me where I am. I'm only sleeping._

The Beatles, "_I'm Only Sleeping"_

—

"Where are we going, Jaken?" Rin asked curiously from her perch atop Ah-Un.

"We are going where Sesshoumaru-sama leads us!" Jaken replied dutifully. "Whether it be through high waters, or to the very gates of Hell itself! I, his most loyal and trusted servant, have sworn myself to him, and will follow him wherever he goes." It was with no small amount of pride that he announced that last part to the world.

"Wow," Rin said slowly, clearly both astounded and impressed that Sesshoumaru would visit such places, and that Jaken would be willing to follow. "Have you and Sesshoumaru-sama ever gone to those places before?" She asked curiously.

"No," Jaken sputtered indignantly. "But I would gladly follow Sesshoumaru-sama, if that's where his path led."

"Me, too!" Rin said excitedly, practically bouncing off the two-headed dragon in her exuberance. "Rin will swear an oath too, just like you, Jaken! Rin would gladly follow Sesshoumaru-sama to Hell!"

"Rin," the daiyoukai in question said forcefully, stopping, but not turning towards the young girl he addressed. "That will not be necessary." He waited a moment for the impact of his statement to resonate with his ward before beginning to walk at his usual, sedate pace again.

"Okay, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin chirped happily, completely unmoved by the conversation, or its implications. "But where are we going, then?" she asked, returning to her original question.

She received no reply. Instead, Sesshoumaru stilled, his head raised slightly, and inhaled deeply. "Jaken, stay with Rin." He commanded, before taking off to the sky, ignoring the kappa's begrudging acknowledgement.

It had been a simple task to turn the group around, heading back towards Inuyasha's forest. Despite his best attempts to push the dream from his thoughts, the memory of that storm still weighed heavy upon him.

He was not one to dwell on things, preferring to deal with his problems expediently and meticulously, leaving his thoughts free for higher pursuits. Problems that were not so swiftly solved, however, tended to consume him.

He had no desire whatsoever of being consumed by dreams of his brother's miko.

Yet she had said something peculiar when he'd first come across her, a remark he'd been unable to ignore. She'd claimed that the strange glade had been in Inuyasha's forest — a place he personally had visited only once, and had no wish to return to — until now. The glade had been unfamiliar to him, as had the well within, and yet he could not shake it from his thoughts.

A simple excursion to Inuyasha's forest would prove once and for all that the glade was simply a strange product of his own imagination. Perhaps then he would find some peace in his disquiet mind.

He found himself curiously impatient to get there. It was not often that he was driven to impatience — he had learned that all things could be achieved with the right measure of persuasion and time. However, the more he contemplated his brother's miko's oddities, the more curious he became.

He could not shake the feeling that there was a piece missing from the puzzle he was trying to decipher, nor the suspicion that the clue lay with the strange miko herself.

When he arrived at the glade he recognised it instantly. Every detail about the place was exactly as he had seen it in his mind. He paused at the tree line, looking curiously around a place he had seen only in his dreams.

_How was this possible?_

He'd lived for centuries, and was well-renowned for having an impeccable memory. He would recall having visited here before — and yet he hadn't. And here it was…

The miko was proving to be a fascinating nuisance.

Frowning, he strode forward, easily picking out the stale scent the miko, and his half-brother. They had both been here within the last couple days. Most curiously, the scent seemed to be concentrated around the well itself, almost as if his half-brother and the girl had been standing at the bottom of it.

_What business does the hanyou and his miko have with an empty well?_ he wondered curiously, leaning over the edge and peering inquisitively down into the depths.

It was, as he had supposed, empty. His sharp eyesight, however, immediately noticed marks, akin to hand-holds, carved into the walls of the well. HIs eyebrow raised in silent question, and he leapt gracefully down the mouth of the well, landing silently on the firm ground.

The miko's scent was thick at the bottom of the well. She clearly came through here often. His mind was burning with unanswered questions. _Why would the miko be standing at the bottom of an empty well?_

The hand-holds were positioned appropriately for someone of her height, and were well used, and in need of repair. Carefully he ran a clawed hand along the walls, searching for weaknesses or imperfections that might conceal hidden caverns.

It was unlikely, but it was equally unlikely that his half-brother and the miko came here just to stand at the bottom of an empty well for fun. Even Inuyasha was not that inane.

Finding nothing, he scowled. There was no logical explanation. If there was one thing that Sesshoumaru absolutely despised, it was anything that defied logic.

He leapt from the well as gracefully as he had entered it, rising up into the sky to rejoin his companions, a strange unsettled feeling in his stomach. This was one mystery that would not remain unsolved for long. It appeared that it was time to seek out his half-brother.

—

It was with no small amount of dread that Kagome unrolled her sleeping bag and spread it on the hard ground that evening.

She wasn't sure exactly what it was she was dreading so much: after all, she'd taken Sesshouaru's odd arrival as a sign that the storms in her night terrors had finally abated, but she was definitely dreading something, and she had a very strong suspicion that it had something to do with Sesshoumaru.

What was the likelihood that she'd dream about Sesshoumaru two nights in a row?

Kagome sincerely hoped there was nothing to the theory that dreams were influenced by the day's events and your last waking thought before you sleep, because there was no way she could get the stoic man out of her mind at the moment.

Shippou seemed to pick up on her anxiety, glancing up at her with worried eyes. Kagome smiled at him, hit by a wave of affection for the young kit. She braided her still-damp hair, deciding that it was probably the easiest way to avoid getting "bed head" hair, and ruffled Shippou's tangerine locks.

Really, how bad would it be if he were in her dream again? After all, _anything_ would have been better than the storm, and Kagome had suffered through that for more than two weeks. If she could handle that, then she could definitely handle Sesshoumaru.

Emboldened by her current train of thought, Kagome curled up in her sleeping bag, shouted a goodnight to everyone, wrapped her arms around Shippou comfortingly, and waited, and waited.

And waited.

_Great, _now_ I get insomnia? _She thought sarcastically, rolling her eyes beneath her closed lids.

Kagome rolled onto her back, allowing her arms to flop to the ground beside her as she stared up at the stars above her.

"Can't sleep?"

"Eep!" Kagome squeaked, jerking in surprise.

Looking to her left, Kagome found Inuyasha standing over her, his ears pressed flat against his head and a look of trepidation on his face.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"You startled me," she declared unnecessarily, placing a hand over her racing heart. Kagome smiled as he shifted the dirt with his foot, looking for the entire world like a puppy that had just been reprimanded. "No," she said with no small amount of frustration. "Apparently I can't."

Inuyasha nodded, looking into the warm orange glow of the fading campfire. "Why didn't you say something?" Inuyasha asked softly, refusing to look at her throughout his little display of affectionate caring.

"What?" Kagome frowned. She knew him too well "About the dream?"

"Yeah," he replied, his ears flattening against his skull. "If you were having nightmares, you should'a said something, you idiot!"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I just figured it wasn't worth bothering everyone about. I mean, we all have nightmares, don't we?"

A strange, clouded look passed over his face. "Yeah," he agreed quietly, his shoulders sagging as if some weight had been applied to them. "I suppose we all do. Still, you shouldn't."

"And why not?" Kagome demanded, taking her gaze from Inuyasha to turn it to the sky, dappled with stars. "I think I've had my fair share of nightmarish things happen."

He winced, and something like guilt flickered across his face. "That's not—" Inuyasha scowled, and she braced herself for the coming explosion. "I just meant that you _shouldn't_ have to, okay?"

She blinked, and her gaze softened. "Oh, Inuyasha."

"Keh!" Inuyasha willed, stubbornly moving away from her. "Just don't have nightmares about that bastard. He's not worth it." And with that, he jumped up into the lowest branch of a nearby tree, and perched there comfortably.

_Is his masculine pride really that wounded? And all over a dream?_

Kagome almost wanted to laugh, but she felt an overwhelming affection for him as he sat aloofly away from the group. _I wish it _had _been Inuyasha, and not his brother, _she thought bitterly, turning over onto her side.

Slowly, comforted by their brief conversation, Kagome surrendered herself to sleep.

—

She looked around, glancing at the Bone Eater's Well in despair. The familiar feeling of the oncoming storm filled her with dread, and she desperately willed herself to wake up. It was entirely ineffective, as always. Nothing could calm the storm once it began to rage.

Nothing… except him.

"Not again," she moaned aloud, looking up at the sky as the clouds came rushing in from all sides. She placed her hands over her ears, grimacing with the horrible precognition of what was about to come. "No," She said, her voice low and disparaging, even to her own ears.

Thunder, so loud that it rattled her bones, crashed above her head, and she screamed.

_Why is this happening to me_?

"Please, no!" she begged, collapsing on the ground, not even bothering to run for cover, feeling hopeless and defeated.

The rain began to fall then, and the drops smashed loudly against the wood of the well. "Stop, stop, stop, stop!" She yelled, her petite form shaking. She knew it wouldn't. The storm never had never abated for her alone.

_Sesshoumaru_. He had appeared last time, would he come again? She'd never imagined herself actually longing to see Inuyasha's cold half-brother, but at that moment she wanted nothing more than for him to appear as graceful and mysterious as ever, and come to her rescue.

"Sesshoumaru!" she screamed, her voice lost in the tempest that roared around her. "Help me!"

A bolt of lightning split the dark sky and illuminated his fair hair and pale features as he stepped out into the clearing. The rain and wind whipped his long silver hair around him, making him look as entirely demonic as fitted the daiyoukai lord of the west. He was power, personified. And yet, despite the instinctual terror that ran through her at the sight of him, a great part of her collapsed with relief.

_He came._

Kagome was drawn to him, like a moth to a flame: instantly and utterly aware of his presence. She watched in awe as he stood, still as a statue before her, and for a brief moment everything seemed to stand still, as if they had reached the eye of the storm.

"Sesshoumaru," she gasped involuntarily in mixed relief and trepidation. Her voice seemed to break the spell, and he frowned down at her with a look of distinct perturbation.

The rain, however, receded to a gentle drizzle around them, and the clouds began to part, leaving as swiftly as they had appeared.

He had done it again. He'd saved her for a second time. _Why? _And, perhaps more importantly, _how?_

"Miko," he demanded, the sudden sound of his voice causing her to jump with a start.

She looked curiously up at him, her face open and her emotions easily readable. Sesshoumaru's frown deepened as he regarded her with none of that same overt expression she seemed so partial to. It was, perhaps, fortunate that the miko was so expressive. He primarily relied to scent to identify emotions, when necessary. There was no scent here. This dreamscape was merely a phantom world — a curious notion, really; after all, why should he be so concerned about the miko when this was not a situation that would ever occur within the real world?

The answer came to him almost as soon as his mind had asked the question.

If he could not make these tiresome rendezvous with the miko in his dreams cease, then he would no longer be in control of his own thoughts. If there was one thing that Sesshoumaru hated, it was not being in control. His notorious discipline was one of the few accomplishments he took true pride in, and it was not to be undone by some stray, foolish and indecently dressed figment of his imagination.

"Stand," Sesshoumaru ordered, his tone forceful, his mind resolute. He would deal with this in the way he was most accustomed to. It had rarely failed him before.

On shaky legs she rose, clinging to the side of the well for support. She looked up into his face and froze instantly, almost dropping right back down to the ground in shock.

His face was a perfect picture of fury, his golden eyes cold and looking _straight_ at her. Not even when she'd pulled the Tetsusaiga out in Inuyasha's father's tomb had he looked so angry. Before she could blink, much less scream, he was right in front of her, and she saw the brief glint of steel as Tokijin swung down toward her before she collapsed to the ground.

—

**Author's Note: **Dun, dun, dun… XD. Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you've enjoyed — as always, concrit is greatly appreciated. If you noticed anything in particular that you really liked or dislike, please feel free to point it out! That sort of feedback helps me grow as an author.

See you next Tuesday! Same bat time, same bat channel...


	4. Complications

**Infinite gratitude** goes out to **Incomprehensible**, who is kind enough to put up with me, and did an excellent job of whipping this chapter into shape.

All bow to the power of my beta. XD

—

**_Chapter 3: Complications_**

—

"_Life is never easy for those who dream."_

Robert James Waller

—

For a moment Kagome was still, laying spread-eagled on the cold ground, her blue eyes wide and glassy in shock. Sesshoumaru smirked in satisfaction. His smirk, however, disappeared as she stirred, sitting up and clutching her chest protectively, scuttling away from him in fear.

His eyes widened marginally – a rare display of surprise. Never before had Tokijin failed him. The girl was proving far more troublesome than he had thought.

With a snarl, Sesshoumaru returned Tokijin to its sheath, bringing his hand forward and calling forth his dokkatsu, the neon green liquid illuminating his face, defining his angled features and showcasing enraged eyes.

He was a killer, not only in name, and he was remarkably apt at his craft. He would not be outdone by his own mind, particularly when it took the shape of a girl who had escaped his grasp more than once before. The simple fact was annoying. When Sesshoumaru wanted someone dead, they died, no exceptions.

Sesshoumaru watched Kagome's large, expressive eyes fill with terror as she stared at the green glow of his poison. He knew both of their thoughts had taken them down similar paths; to the last time he had used his dokkatsu to kill her.

She alone could use that phrase: 'the last time'. No one else had survived; it was an oversight long in need of rectification. There simply _was _no 'last time'.

"Where is Inuyasha now?" Sesshoumaru sneered, flexing his claws menacingly, pleased with the expression of horror that was etched starkly onto her face. He did not require scent to identify that particular countenance.

"It won't work," she said stubbornly, raising her chin slightly in a gesture of defiance. She hadn't a clue what had set him off, but she wasn't about to let Sesshoumaru become the storm in her nightmare. At least him she knew she could fight. Even if a small part of her would much prefer to cling to his pant leg like a child and beg him to stop.

_Why is he attacking me?_

Sesshoumaru moved suddenly, with a graceful swiftness, easily out-manoeuvring the frightened girl, and reached for her, placing his hand on one side of her face, releasing enough poison to easily melt the flesh from her bones.

_Too easy_, Sesshoumaru mused quietly, a frown settling on his lips. She had begun to show that spark of defiance he'd seen from her in the past. It had done her no good in the end, though, even if she had managed to keep her life.

It was to his great consternation and fury that she reached up batted his hand away with a shriek, looking up at him completely unharmed.

Sesshoumaru blinked, his hand hanging still in the air, still dripping the lethal poison. Twice, it had been ineffective. Clearly the miko was impervious to him, and yet he wanted nothing more than to hunt her down and sink his teeth into her flesh.

How dare she intrude on his peace of mind?

"Stop it!" Kagome shouted at him. "You're trying to _kill _me!"

She certainly had a knack for stating the obvious. Then again, so did his worthless half-brother, so presumably they worked well together.

"Perceptive, Miko," Sesshoumaru replied acerbically, infuriated and humiliated by her obvious immunity to his poison. Of one thing Sesshoumaru was absolutely certain: he wanted the miko gone. Accomplishing that, however, was becoming a far more difficult task than he had anticipated.

"Well, knock it off!" Kagome yelled, rising to her feet and raising her arms defensively in front of her chest. She had reached the point where her fear had turned to anger – a curious quirk of hers that seemed both to her benefit and detriment. Acting without thinking was foolish — and furthermore, it was tiresome.

She should have been dead. If they had been in the real world she would have been, anyway. But what was the point of killing her over and over again in his dreams? And _why_ was he attacking her?

"No," Sesshoumaru replied stoically, but in spite of his words, his eyes flashed angrily. "You will die, and you will _stay_ dead."

_Is that an order?_ Kagome thought hysterically, scrambling away from the intimidating demon. Inuyasha had always been there to protect her, but this time, he wasn't. For once, it was up to Kagome to rescue herself.

And, really, since apparently he couldn't actually harm her (save scarring her for life, and making her have to pay for the inevitable and copious psychotherapy sessions she'd need once this was all over), it was probably for the best.

Inuyasha's concept of creative problem solving consisted of attacking things with a big sword and swearing until he was blue in the face, and then some. If that failed, he would get up, shake himself off and attack again. She couldn't help but be reminded of the old saying, "insanity is repeating the same action and expecting different results".

In Inuyasha's defence, the strategy did seem to work — at least most of the time. Still, she couldn't help thinking that Sesshoumaru's battle tactics were not so different from his brother's, after all.

Kagome blinked in surprise, stepping backwards as Sesshoumaru slashed at her, desperate to leave some sort of mark - to harm her in _some _fashion. He could feel himself losing control over his emotions, lashing out in pointless fury against a creature he couldn't harm.

It wasn't possible. It _shouldn't_ be possible. She was a weak, fragile human. His strongest of attacks should have killed her.

Kagome screeched, making it painfully clear that she was _not _dead, and had absolutely no intention of dying, making Sesshoumaru wince at the volume and the pitch. He stilled, fighting to control the rage that bubbled up within him.

"Stop, Sesshoumaru! Please stop!" She backed away from him, her hands held up in front of her defensively. "Listen to me!"

He had no interest in what the miko had to say, only an interest in silencing her. He could feel the long-held reins of his self-control beginning to fray, ad he snarled, a low, feral sound.

The miko took another step back in fear.

"Look, I don't know why you're attacking me," she stated quickly, the words tumbling together in her nervousness. "But it's obviously not working so maybe you should just stop...?" Kagome screwed up her face in displeasure. "Besides–" she added calming somewhat. At least her voice wasn't shaking anymore. "–it feels weird."

He stilled, gazing at her with an inscrutable expression. "Weird?" Sesshoumaru echoed sardonically.

"Yes." She glowered at him. "How would _you_ like to be killed over and over again?"

"This Sesshoumaru would not die so easily," he responded. Though his words were arrogant, his voice was toneless leading Kagome to believe that he was simply stating what he took to be fact, rather than making a point of his superiority.

Granted, most facts about Sesshoumaru did a good job of making a point of his superiority on their own — unless, of course, you were talking about his people skills and anger management abilities.

Kagome blinked and let out a shriek as the light was suddenly blocked. He'd moved, too fast for her human eyes to track, and had come to a sudden stop right in front of her. His distinctive and expressionless honey eyes looked down at her dispassionately as he towered above her.

The raven-haired girl backed away slowly, her arms out in front of her for protection. "Don't come any closer!" Kagome warned, her words brave, but her voice shaking in nervousness.

A single dark brow arched pointedly, and he took a mocking step forwards.

"I mean it!" she exclaimed, matching his step forwards with a step backwards. "Back away, Sesshoumaru!"

Said youkai took another step forward, and she another back. And another. And another, until Kagome felt the rough bark of a tree against her back. Kagome let out a small sound of dismay and fright, trapped between the tree and Sesshoumaru, who stood arrogantly before her.

"What do you want?" she demanded at last, tired of their back-and-forth pace.

Sesshoumaru's fingers twitched and Kagome jumped, her heart racing so fast she was certain he could hear it.

"Killing me isn't the answer," she amended quickly. "And it won't work, anyway."

"The answer," he murmured curiously, bringing his claws up level with her face. He gazed at her, then, his eyes boring into her skin, almost as if he were looking through her, rather than at her. Sesshoumaru had a strangely contemplative look on his face, but that did little to quell her nervousness. If anything it, just made him seem a bit unhinged.

"Sesshoumaru?"

His claws twitched suddenly, glinting dangerously in the light, and she reacted on pure instinct. Bringing both her hands up, Kagome placed them on his chest and shoved, hard, pouring forth as much miko energy into her hands, and by extension, his chest, as she could.

Sesshoumaru stumbled backwards almost drunkenly, falling ungracefully to his knees, clutching his chest in surprise.

She gasped, staring at him in astonishment for a moment before coming to her senses and doing the only logical thing to do — Kagome ran. She ran for her life: dashing around the Goshinboku and into the dense forest behind, moving faster than she'd ever thought possible, stumbling over branches and scraping against the rough, disfigured bark of the trees.

In what seemed like mere moments, Sesshoumaru had caught up to her, his white, agile form darting between the trees with ease. Before she was even aware of what had happened, he grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her around to face him before releasing his hold on her. Her momentum carried her backwards, sending her sprawling against a tree, and she sank painfully to the ground.

"Explain," he stated.

"Come any closer and I'll do it again," she gasped out, her blue eyes blazing with fury.

The impervious man stood perfectly still, staring down at her with undisguised curiosity. It was rare that anyone put up this much of a fight against him, and to his own astonishment, he was enjoying it. She had determination to be marvelled at, and a growing ability to be reckoned with.

Had it been the real world, she would have been long dead — no more than a brief thorn in his side, but here... here, she was a toy. A toy to play with as he so saw fit – a toy that he could chase, catch, kill, and then begin again with.

Curious, indeed.

"Why are you doing this?" Kagome asked, steadying herself against the tree as she rose to her feet.

Sesshoumaru smirked, and she felt herself shrink back in terror.

"Run, Miko," he said softly, and Kagome did.

—

Kagome bolted upright, wide awake and still screaming, startling all of her companions into wakefulness.

"What is it?" Miroku demanded, bolting upright and grabbing his staff before him to ward off attacking menaces and glancing around the camp quickly – scanning for intruders.

"Kagome?" Sango asked, more accurately assessing the source of the problem, and moving over to the young girl. "Was it the dream again?" she asked softly, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

Kagome nodded, bringing her knees up to her chest, and much to own horror, bursting into sobs. Sango wordlessly wrapped the girl in her arms, rubbing her back soothingly as Shippou danced around anxiously at her feet.

Inuyasha made a small, indistinguishable noise, and re-sheathed Tetsusaiga, having pulled it out immediately upon Kagome's scream. He huffed in annoyance, but there was no disguising the genuine concern that shone in his eyes, and he made no motion to move away.

"Kagome?" he asked softly, feeling unusually helpless as he watched her sob in Sango's arms.

Kagome hiccupped.

"Was it the storm again?" Shippou asked anxiously, patting her leg in an attempt to be comforting.

"Was it that bastard again?" Inuyasha growled, his fingers twitching by his side, and Kagome knew he was itching to draw Tetsusaiga.

Kagome nodded, her sobs dissolving into hiccups and gasps as she tried to regain her breath. Snivelling, she wiped her face off with the palm of her hand before crawling over to her backpack and rifling through it, looking for the Kleenex she knew she'd packed.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, once she'd regained the ability to speak. "I didn't mean to wake everyone."

"What the hell _happened_?" Inuyasha demanded impatiently, ignoring the furious glare Sango sent his way, and the reproving glances from Miroku and Shippou.

"I—" Kagome paused, not really wanting to talk about it. Still, they would badger her if she didn't say _something_. "It was the storm again." She replied finally.

"Just the storm?" Miroku asked curiously, one black eyebrow raised.

Kagome nodded, feeling guilty for lying to them. They were, after all, just concerned for her well-being.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed, before moving off, apparently satisfied.

Miroku seemed to take her at her word, but she was certain that Sango hadn't bought it in the slightest. The taijiya was looking at her with a questioning glance and a frown.

"I'm sorry." Kagome said again.

"No need to apologise," the monk supplied, sounding surprisingly cheerful despite the melancholy mood that seemed to have settled over the camp. "At least we know that our reflexes are good."

The young woman shot him a wan grin, appreciative of his attempt to change the mood. "I'm fine. Really!" she added hastily when Sango opened her mouth to object.

Kagome wasn't sure why she'd decided to keep her encounter with Sesshoumaru a secret.

Partly, she guessed, because she didn't want to deal with Inuyasha's inevitably irritable attitude. Dealing with one of his temper tantrums so shortly after waking up – not to mention having dealt with said hanyou's brother only a few minutes previous – wasn't something she was feeling particularly up to. The other half was because she didn't want them to know she was still dreaming about him, even if it was a dream about him trying to kill her in any way possible.

In an odd way, Kagome felt as if she were betraying Inuyasha. Not, of course, that she had any sort of control over what she dreamed about, but that didn't stop her from feeling a rush of self-reproach every time she thought about it.

_I'm being silly_, she mused at last, trying to placate her rising guilt.

But in spite of herself, Kagome shivered, knowing that the image of Sesshoumaru's great jaws closing in on her was one she would never forget.

Why had he attacked her? If it had just been a simple case of nightmares about him (which she'd had — after the events in Inuyasha's father's tomb, she'd had horrible nightmares about being melted alive), then why had he calmed the storm?

And why had he been so angry? She had never seen him so completely out of control. He had been beyond furious. But, she supposed, the question was "why"?

What was it supposed to mean?

—

**Author's Notes:** A huge thank-you to everyone who's reviewed this story so far! I appreciate your feedback. If you notice something in this chapter that you really enjoyed, or something you really hated, please don't hesitate to let me know!

See you next Tuesday!


	5. The Stuff of Nightmares

Kneel before the power of **Incomprehensible**, my beta (who is secretly a Goddess among mortals :P).

—

_**Chapter 4: The Stuff of Nightmares**_

—

_Nothing happens unless first we dream._

Carl Sandburg

—

He was like a dog with a brand new chew toy.

It wasn't quite nearly as appealing an image when she took into account that _she_ was the chew toy in question. Every night she'd slip unwillingly into the land of dreams to find him waiting impatiently for her.

And she'd run.

Occasionally, Kagome would try crying protests that fell on deaf ears, begging him to stop, reasoning with him that what he was doing was mad. Nevertheless, Sesshoumaru chased her relentlessly, catching her and then waiting as she picked herself up and began to run again.

Kagome could feel it taking its toll on her — her lack of desire to sleep began to wear on her, but she forced herself to remain awake as long as she could to keep from meeting him, but she couldn't avoid it forever. She'd wake, cold, pale and trembling after a few hours of restless sleep and drag herself through another day only to repeat the same process.

She knew that she was making them all worried. Despite the tired haze which she lived in, Kagome could see the anxious glances her companions shared behind her back, and the quiet way they spoke to her.

She wasn't oblivious to the fact that Inuyasha had made more stops than usual (though, given how much of a fight it often took to get him to camp for the night, _any_ willing stop was unusual), and he'd taken to sitting quietly next to her at night. Occasionally, he'd break their companionable silence by speaking about the day, or what lay ahead, seemingly untroubled by her tired, mumbled responses.

There was something gentle and tender about the way he cared for her, and she was grateful beyond her means to express. As much as she loved the change she was beginning to see in him, Kagome knew that this couldn't go on much longer.

She was dragging her feet slowly along the ground, her eyes heavy with exhaustion and her brain clouded by a fog, almost as if it had been wrapped in cotton. She felt absolutely terrible — and worse, she felt useless. Her fatigue was inhibiting her ability to think, and it frustrated her to no end.

This had to stop.

"Kagome?" Shippo questioned anxiously from his perch on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

The girl in question nodded, focusing on moving forwards, the rhythmic placing of one foot after another.

She felt Shippo's hand tangle gently in her hair, brushing the back of her neck comfortingly, though he said nothing.

She felt a sudden familiar jolt, and she snapped to attention. "Jewel shard," she gasped. "Heading this way, and fast."

The affect of her words was immediate: Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga with a familiar metallic _snick_, while Sango and Miroku readied their weapons. Shippo jumped to the ground by her feet as she readied her bow, laying an arrow against the worn wood and placing her fingers at the base of the arrow in a familiar motion.

"How many?" Inuyasha asked, his golden eyes searching through the trees for any sign of movement, his white ears swivelling madly as they strained to catch the sounds of the forest around them.

"One, in that direction." She gestured with the point of the arrow at the forest ahead, narrowing her eyes as the feeling of the presence of the Shikon Jewel grew closer.

The company turned towards the place she had pointed to, crouching down into battle stances and preparing to fight.

Kagome saw Inuyasha's lip curl up in a smirk in anticipation of another fight, Tetsusaiga held proudly before him. "Here it comes," he stated unnecessarily — the creature's approach was not quiet, and even their human ears could pick up the sounds of flora and fauna being brushed aside as it travelled unerringly towards them.

With a primal roar, the great beast busted through the trees, a large purple Oni, ugly as sin. Kagome blinked as it raised its arms high above its head, and she narrowed her eyes, searching frantically for the jewel shard she knew it possessed.

"You have shards of the Shikon Jewel!" it bellowed loudly, lumbering forwards gracelessly. "Give me the jewel!"

"In its left shoulder!" Kagome shouted, spotting the familiar pink light.

"Got it," Inuyasha replied, raising Tetsusaiga above his head, its blade glinting menacingly in the sunlight, before leaping up into the air and bringing the blade crashing down in a blow that should have easily severed the Oni's arm. It was not nearly so easy; Tetsusaiga's blade bounced off the purple skin, sending Inuyasha reeling.

He crouched low to the ground, making an angry growl-like noise as the Oni laughed loudly.

"Fool," it rasped mockingly at the red-clad hanyou. "You cannot harm me!"

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango shouted, throwing her giant boomerang as if to prove the Oni wrong. It connected with a sickening crack to the back of the Oni's head, and it stumbled as Sango reclaimed her weapon effortlessly.

"Well done, Sango!" Miroku yelled, pulling out sutras from his sleeve and throwing them at the Oni. "Judgement!" the monk shouted, bringing his staff down and causing the ground to quake with his power.

Though it slowed it down, the sutra didn't take full effect and the Oni stumbled furiously towards Kagome.

"Jewel shards," it slurred drunkenly, reaching out a large clawed hand towards her. She stepped back, stumbling in exhaustion and fear as she drew her bow and released a spiritual arrow, aiming for the Oni's left shoulder.

Kagome blinked, watching it fly through the air like a pink beacon, her vision blurring as she struggled to stay upright.

"Jewel shards!" it roared again as the arrow flew harmlessly by its shoulder.

Distantly, she heard Inuyasha scream her name, and she drew another arrow from her quiver, pulling the string taut and narrowing her eyes as she aimed. Kagome could feel her arms shaking, but she drew her power forth, channelling it into the arrow as she focused.

The world around her seemed to be swimming and the voices of her friends seemed far away to her hazy mind.

_Focus, girl! You can do it!_ she told herself, bringing her mind back to the arrow as she aimed, and released. She felt her power surge forth, and the arrow flew true, embedding itself in the Oni's shoulder and purifying the Shikon shard therein.

She smiled in satisfaction as the world around her went black.

—

Kagome kept her eyes closed, listening to the familiar sound of birdsong and the wind whistling through the trees.

"Miko," a low and seductively dangerous voice from somewhere above her head called to her.

Kagome winced, annoyed with his ability to shatter the peaceful silence. She stubbornly refused to open her eyes, making a point of ignoring him.

All she wanted was a decent night's sleep. With the world using her as the ultimate cosmic joke, was that _really_ too much to ask for?

"Get up," Sesshoumaru said angrily; his voice coloured with a low growl that left no room for question as to the 'or else...' that was implicit in his statement.

Kagome scowled. _Not again_, she thought distraughtly. Why wouldn't he just leave her alone? What did he _want_ with her?

Those same questions had done nothing but repeat over and over in her mind for the past week and a half that she'd been having the same occurring order of events in her dreamscape.

_I can't do this anymore_.

"No," she said flatly, rolling onto her side.

The glade fell still; even the birds stopped singing and paused, waiting, like the calm before the storm.

"Get up," he repeated, his voice dangerous, raising goosebumps on her arms.

"Or what?" Kagome snapped angrily, her blue eyes opening suddenly. "You'll kill me?" She spread her arms out wide on the ground and glared up at him. "Try it."

His arm twitched in impatience, and she knew he longed to pull out Tokijin and destroy her. She also knew he wouldn't demean himself by trying something so clearly futile.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed and he glared furiously down at her. She glared back with equal ferocity.

Her blue eyes locked with his gold.

_Stalemate_.

He huffed with impatience and stepped back, breaking their gaze. Sesshoumaru stood, his black-decorated leather boots mere feet away from her head, and watched her with his customary lack of expression as she pointedly closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

It had been utterly pointless from the start. Even if she _hadn't_ been painfully aware of the fact that he was standing there watching her, there was no way she _could_ have slept. Sleep within a dream was impossible, as much as she wished she could.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Kagome asked, the vexation clear in her voice.

"Are you just going to lie there?" Sesshoumaru echoed in return, his tone mocking.

She rolled over onto her stomach, opening her eyes and glaring at him angrily. "_I _am attempting to mind my own business and finally get some peace and quiet, and since this is _my_ dream, _I_ want _you_ to _go away_."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, and he frowned. "This is not your dream," he stated flatly.

She looked at him in clear confusion. "Yes it is," she replied automatically. "I don't even know why I'm talking to you at all. You're not actually here."

"Miko," he intoned. "Though your purpose here is unclear, you are most certainly in this Sesshoumaru's dream."

Kagome blinked slowly, staring at him bemusedly. Of their own accord, the corners of her mouth began to rise, and she tried vainly to bite back the grin that was threatening to spread across her face. She brought her hand up to cover a snicker.

His eyes narrowed further, her attempts to contain her amusement clearly not fooling him.

She couldn't help it — she collapsed into giggles. It was absolutely loony. Sesshoumaru had appeared in her dreams, rescuing her from her previous nightmares only to _become_ her nightmare, chased her around and treated her like a chew toy and now claimed that it was actually _his_ dream, and that she was just crashing the party. She had no idea what all of this meant, but there was no denying that there was something seriously wrong with her subconscious.

"Cease laughing," he snapped, which only made her laugh more. Her giggling was slightly hysterical, but she couldn't stop.

She barely had time to register the glint of a blade before she felt the sudden soul-wrenching jolt.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw him standing over her, his hand resting on Tokijin, which was sheathed at his hip.

"You killed me!" Kagome shouted angrily, sitting up and clutching at her chest protectively.

"I told you to cease," he replied stonily. "I do not like repeating myself."

"That's no excuse to _kill_ me!" Kagome shrieked furiously, standing up and waving a finger angrily in his face. If she hadn't been quite so strung out, she probably wouldn't have done it — particularly after she'd just been killed by him – however unsuccessfully, but she was sick of him haunting her dreams, and his games of 'catch', and she wasn't about to put up with it anymore.

For his part, there was something therapeutic about killing the miko, even if she rose again soon after. It would have been better if he didn't have to deal with her constant prattling — the way she was waving her finger in his face made him want to chop it off, but he knew that should all else fail, he had one way of assuring a few minutes of silence.

Perhaps it would be best just to kill her repeatedly.

Still, this reoccurring dream was baffling. Equally baffling was her assertion that it was _her_ dream. He had not expected her to be aware of the fact that this was a dream at all — he was aware that this was no ordinary dream, the awareness and control that he had was unique, but he hadn't considered the possibility that she might be the same.

_Unless...._

It was not a thought he particularly enjoyed entertaining. Nevertheless, this dream was set in a place he was not familiar with, but she was. He seemed to have no control over her actions, and her reactions seemed surprisingly impulsive and... human.

His eyes widened marginally as the thought set in.

_Could it be...?_

"Hey!" Kagome screeched, breaking him away from his reverie. "I'm talking to you!"

Sesshoumaru glanced down the pointed finger at her, bringing forth his most baleful glare, and smirking in satisfaction as she blinked and stepped back on instinct. Slowly, he closed his eyes and brought himself back to consciousness, slipping silently from the dream world.

It was a perturbing theory, but it was one that warranted further investigation.

—

**Author's Notes:** As always, happy Tuesday! This is actually a little early (which is odd, considering I fully expected that this might be a bit late. You have Incomprehensible to thank for the timeliness of this update).

A huge thank-you to everyone who's reviewed so far. I've fallen behind on responding to reviews at the moment - partly because RL is catching up to me. I have an audition for drama school coming up in a couple weeks, and a great deal of paperwork (not to mention work-related-work) to get through this month, so I might be a bit AWOL. I will try and keep this updated regularly, but I apologise in advance if I slip behind a little.

Even if I don't get back to you right away, reviews are still appreciated, and help brighten my (increasingly stressful) days.

Until next time!


	6. It Takes Two to Tango

I didn't get the first draft of this finished until about 9.00PM last night, for the record. Despite that, **Incomprehensible** _still_ managed to get it back to me in time for it to be uploaded at its usual time — so I think we can safely say I owe her a great deal.

Applaud my beta (and help me get her a knighthood! :D).

—

**_Chapter 5: It Takes Two to Tango_**

—

_Dreams are the touchstones of our character._

Henry David Thoreau.

—

He was avoiding her. Twice now he'd caught wind of Inuyasha's scent, and twice he had deliberately steered away from his scent.

It was entirely unlike him to avoid anything — as far as he was concerned, the only way to deal with things was to face them head on, and obliterate them if they proved an obstacle. Yet, despite that, Sesshoumaru was determinedly avoiding her presence.

The truth of the matter was that he was curious. Few things had proven to be quite as an enigmatic as she was, and at his age, anything that provided that much interest was worth pursuing. Though, he knew he should probably kill her — indeed, probably should have done so already, the entertainment she had provided seemed well worth the small indignity of sharing his dreams, however curious it may be. She, like Rin, seemed to be a welcome diversion from the monotony of his long existence.

He had toyed with her, waiting to see how long he could play before she'd react. The thrill of the hunt alone, the true hunt — running free under an open sky with no more rhyme and reason than the rush of seeking out prey — had made her worthy of his... attention.

Sesshoumaru had thought himself long past indulging in such frivolities. In the sanctity of his own mind, however, he was entitled to do as he liked, and the fact that it was his half-brother's obnoxious miko simply made it all the sweeter.

Now that she had begun to fight back, a very different sort of game would begin....

He had returned to the glade in Inuyasha's forest and examined the well more closely; it seemed to be a central figure in the dream, and, judging by the pervading scent of miko and hanyou, a place of importance in her life. Yet, despite hours of careful examination, Sesshoumaru had found absolutely nothing that would explain its purpose. There was little doubt that both of them had stood at the bottom — the handholds, if nothing else, spoke clearly of that. They had been there often, at least once in the past month.

What he found most curious, however, was the strange metallic tang that seemed to permeate the bottom of the well. It was like a mixture of metal, gas and rock — though unlike anything he'd ever smelled before. It was only present at the very bottom of the well, close to the ground, and was very faint. Nevertheless, he found it perturbing.

The miko's scent led in the direction of a small village nearby, where it mixed and mingled with the scents of the village inhabitants, and was lost. He paused, listening to the sounds of the village folk milling about.

In truth, though he was loathe to admit it, his half-brother's miko was turning out to be a more interesting puzzle than he'd at first thought. Her clothes and mannerisms, naturally, had always been a curiosity. He'd assumed she was simply a prostitute (albeit a skimpily dressed one, even by their standards) when he'd first seen her — and though it was now obvious that wasn't the case ('miko' and 'lady of the night' were antonyms in nature, after all, and, furthermore, Inuyasha didn't have nearly that much money), her origins were as mysterious as her dress sense (or marked lack thereof). Either way, she was human, and obnoxious to boot, hardly worth his time or energy. Or so he'd thought.

The fact that she had now entangled herself in his dreams had changed all that, and how little he knew of her was becoming readily apparent — and disturbing. It was clear the girl had him at somewhat of a disadvantage, and that was something in need of immediate rectification, as far as he was concerned.

Though, questioning the girl would be the most prominent and direct route, he had no desire to neither reveal himself to his half-brother's group— nor put up with Inuyasha's inevitable prattling. Instead, he settled for walking purposefully down into the village in search of answers.

Sesshoumaru ignored the frightened yells of the villages as he walked through the narrow, dirty streets of the village, seeking out the miko's scent. It led him to a small building; it was clear the miko had been there often, as, like the well, her scent pervaded the air — though it was mixed and dulled by the scents of others.

Before he could enter, an old woman dressed in miko garb stepped out, bearing a large, worn bow and a quiver full of arrows, which she held at the ready.

"What be your business, youkai?" she demanded, her voice steady and clear despite her years.

"What purpose does the well serve?"

The old woman frowned, a strange guarded expression crossing her face. "What well do ye speak of?" she replied.

He stood still, watching her; though, to his great surprise she didn't seem discomfited by his scrutiny. There was little doubt in his mind that she knew exactly what he was speaking about, and her attempt at ignorance only made him more curious as to its purpose. Was it the miko or the well that she was defending, he wondered.

Either way, he required information, and he was not about to be denied by an aged miko, however wilful. Moving faster than any human eye could see, he wrapped his claws around her throat and pinned her to the wall of the hut, clenching her throat tightly enough to cause pain, but not so much as to cut off her regular intake of oxygen. After all, he would require her to be able to speak.

"Answer," he stated, his claws digging pointedly into the wrinkled skin of her neck. He ignored the angry and worried cries of the village inhabitants, dismissing them as unimportant.

"What purpose have ye with the Bone Eater's Well?" she rasped, her weathered hands clutching at his own, immaculate hands, trying in vain to pry him off.

"My business is my own," he sneered, increasing the pressure slightly in warning. "I do not wish to repeat myself again."

"The well is empty," she said flatly. "It serves no purpose other than for the disposal of slain demons."

He frowned, absorbing that latest information. Almost as an afterthought, he released his hold on the old miko, ignoring her as she slumped weakly to the ground. "There were no bones," he remarked, glancing down at her as she sat, clutching her neck and breathing heavily.

"They disappear," she informed him, her voice rough as she rubbed her bruised neck. The marks left by his fingers were plainly visible against her skin, an ugly hue of purple and red.

"Hn," he remarked aloofly, processing the information as it came. Could something so simple be the answer he had been searching for? Something told him that there was more to the story than that, though he hadn't an idea as to _what_.

"Back, demon!" shouted a voice from behind Sesshoumaru. The barest glance told him that the villagers had gathered their bravery, and a handful of them stood behind him wielding crude farm implements. Sesshoumaru paid them the utter lack of attention they deserved.

The miko, however, was stirring. She pulled herself to her feet and he could see her reaching for one of the arrows in her quiver.

"What is Inuyasha's interest in the well?" he asked, watching her hand still in surprise as a flicker of alarm crossed her face.

"I wouldn't know," she replied, her expression carefully blank.

"Do not lie to this Sesshoumaru," he hissed threateningly, the menace in his message perfectly clear to all concerned.

She didn't reply, and for a moment they stood still, each waiting for the other to make a move. Clearly, his instincts had been right — she was prepared to die to protect what she knew, which was a clear sign that whatever it was she knew was certainly worth knowing. He felt a small flicker of admiration for her — there were few people, and fewer humans, with the will to stand up to him so, and it would be a pity to kill her.

Nevertheless, killing her remained the clear option, as she was obviously unwilling to talk.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing, you bastard?!"

Sesshoumaru stiffened, resisting the urge to swear loudly. He hadn't realised how involved he'd become. He'd let his guard down — a mistake that could easily have cost him his life had he been facing anyone but Inuyasha.

"Get the Hell away from her!" It was fortunate, perhaps, that Inuyasha was predictable. His loud exclamation served as more than enough warning, and Sesshoumaru had already pulled Tokijin from its sheath by the time Inuyasha reached him. Their blades clanged loudly, a pulse of power washing over the spectators.

A quick glance of his surroundings assured him that Inuyasha had come alone — no doubt having sensed his presence and come dashing to the elderly miko's rescue (yet another sign that she had something worth hiding, in his mind). He stretched his senses outward, making up for lost time, and caught the scent of the rest of Inuyasha's pack approaching steadily.

He scowled. He would simply have to deal with his half-brother quickly in order to avoid a confrontation with the miko.

Inuyasha's blows rained down on him as quickly as the hanyou could deal them, driving him away from the old miko. He was well aware of what his brother was doing, but didn't particularly care. He parried his brother's thrusts easily, waiting for Inuyasha's strength to begin to wane. He seemed to have little concept of how to actually wield a blade — favouring brute strength over calculated strikes and strategic battle plans.

Sesshoumaru knew that if he waited long enough, an opportunity would be presented.

"You wield the Tetsusaiga as poorly as ever, little brother," he declared mockingly, fully aware that the use of 'little brother' as a sobriquet was more than enough to send Inuyasha into a rage. Insulting his swordsmanship was merely an added bonus.

He wasn't disappointed. Inuyasha growled furiously, bringing Tetsusaiga down in a sharp strike that would have easily cleaved Sesshoumaru in half, had he not been expecting it. He ducked aside easily, blocking the blade and preparing to strike Inuyasha's exposed side.

His eyes had barely registered the movement of an object before he reacted, purely on instinct, ducking out of the way of an arrow which thudded loudly into the side of a large house behind him. His brows knitted angrily as he turned to find the old miko standing, bow in hand, reaching for another arrow.

"Stay out of this, Kaede," Inuyasha yelled over his shoulder, moving himself between Sesshoumaru and the old miko.

"You're fight is with me," he added, running forwards and bringing Tetsusaiga down heavily where Sesshoumaru had been standing a moment ago.

Said demon lord was tempted to kill the miko, but he could sense his brother's companions drawing closer, and, though he couldn't quite explain why, he had no desire to run into his half-brother's miko. Though he disliked it on principle, he wasn't adverse to the occasional strategic retreat, and it was beginning to look as if that was the best option.

"What the Hell do you want with her, bastard?" Inuyasha demanded loudly, undaunted. Kaede notched another arrow in her bow, pulling the string taut and aiming with steady hands.

Sesshoumaru moved swiftly, knocking the bow out of her hands and her to the ground in a single movement. He raised Tokijin, about to strike when he sensed Inuyasha's approach from behind and he turned to parry his attack.

"This is not your concern, half breed," he hissed out angrily, his attacks becoming bolder, putting Inuyasha on defence.

"Stay the fuck away from Kaede!" he sneered back, his golden eyes flashing angrily.

The reply Sesshoumaru had begun to formulate was lost as Kagome and the rest of the group burst into view. He heard her gasp, and, unthinkingly he turned towards her. She sat astride the taijiya's firecat, her eyes wide with surprise and fear, and her gaze locked, astonished, on him.

His eyes met hers, and he stilled, staring for a moment. Then, like a puppet whose strings were suddenly cut, both he and Kagome slumped forwards and fell to the ground, unconscious.

—-

**Author's Note: **Happy Tuesday! Next week's chapter may be a bit late — but I'll do my best to get it done on-time. After the next couple weeks though I'll have a little more time, so I can finally work on some of the other projects (;cough; _Divergence_ :cough:) that I've put on hold in the mean time.

As always, please let me know what you think! Feedback is greatly appreciated.


	7. Eyes I Dare Not Meet In Dreams

Beta'd as always by the fantastic **Incomprehensible**, whose knighthood is pending. :P

—

_**Chapter Six: Eyes I Dare Not Meet In Dreams…**_

—

"_Between the idea, and the reality,_

_Between the motion, and the act,_

_Falls the shadow."_

_The Hollow Men_, T. S. Eliot

—

Sesshoumaru blinked awkwardly as he came to, slowly levering himself upright with his one remaining arm.

He blinked slowly, his mind hazy and disoriented. Not too far from himself laid the prone body of his half-brother's wench, her eyes closed and expression softened in her unconscious state. Sesshoumaru snarled quietly, the sound catching him unawares. Standing with a shake of his head, Sesshoumaru took in his surroundings.

The world around him reeled dangerously and Sesshoumaru stumbled drunkenly, collapsing back to his knees. He heard Kagome give a low moan from a few metres away and her dark brows drew together in a frown as she stirred.

"Unngh," she groaned, curling up into a foetal position and putting her hand to the side of her head.

Privately, he agreed with her, but he had no desire to allow any of that to show outwardly. Slowly, and more carefully this time, he brought himself back to his feet and stood, willing his vision to stop spinning.

"Miko," he said, his voice low and raw.

She stirred again, her legs shifting as she uncurled slightly and lifted her head, peering blearily up at him.

"Inuyasha?" she murmured half-dazedly, rubbing her temples with her hands. "My head hurts."

He scowled, and, not trusting himself to move, said, "Get up, Miko."

The girl pulled herself up to her knees, shaking her head slightly as he had, and he felt satisfied that whatever predicament he now found himself in, that she, too, was sharing it. The thought didn't provide nearly as much comfort as he would have liked it to.

"Miko," Sesshoumaru said again, his patience growing thin.

"Where are we?" Kagome asked slowly, looking around. "Sesshoumaru?" She blinked. "I'm asleep?"

It was almost painful for him to watch the slow way she pieced things together in her inferior human mind. "What have you done, Miko?" the silver-haired demon demanded curtly, feeling his legs begin to shake as his vision once again blurred and he fought desperately to remain upright.

"Done?" she asked, thoroughly confused. "I haven't _done_ anything."

Sesshoumaru noticed her knees wobble seconds before the woman lost her balance and fell down to the ground, clutching her head. "I think I'm going to be sick," she mumbled, and Sesshoumaru took an involuntary step back.

Kagome had never felt quite this horrible before — not even when she'd caught strep throat as a child. Her head was pounding unmercifully, and her mind was clouded, leaving her only with the clear ability to perceive that she couldn't think properly — something which was frustrating in itself. What was more concerning, however, was that she had no idea how she'd arrived in the dreamscape. The last Kagome remembered, she had been looking for Inuyasha — and then nothing.

She hadn't decided if it was alarming or not that Sesshoumaru was there with her.

"This Sesshoumaru was affected only when you arrived, Miko," he ground out furiously, gritting his teeth in frustration and confusion. He knew that she wasn't lying to him, and that she was just as confused as he was by everything that was happening. He knew enough about her to know that Kagome was a poor liar, and certainly not capable of deceiving him. However, there was no denying that she was in some way _responsible_ for what was happening to him, and he would hold her to that responsibility. Providing an outlet for his frustrations at night was one thing — it was odd, and perhaps worrisome, but her ability to drag him into unconsciousness and disable him so was something he could not abide by.

At this very moment, Inuyasha was in possession of Tetsusaiga and stood near his unconscious body. Though Sesshoumaru would not take Inuyasha's life if he were in such a state, preferring to defeat him honourably in combat, he wasn't so sure that his half-brother would provide the same courtesy to him.

Sesshoumaru was not about to be killed by a foolish human girl, however inadvertently.

"Does it look like I'm enjoying this?" she snapped back suddenly, gathering her strength as she stumbled to her feet. "As far as I'm concerned, everything that's happened so far has been _your_ fault. _You_ turned up in _my_ dream, _you_ toyed with _me_, and now _you've_ dragged _me_ here _against my will,_" she enunciated curtly, glaring at him with a ferocity that took him by surprise.

Sesshoumaru snarled, his claws clenching instinctually as he took a step forward, intending to frighten her into submission. However, his legs chose that moment to give out beneath him, and he collapsed wearily to his knees.

He heard her gasp in surprise and alarm as he fell, and the sound only made him angrier. He had no desire to show any sort of weakness in front of anyone — much less this particular, never mind irritating, human wench.

He steadied himself with his arm, preparing to raise himself to his feet when he sensed movement above him. Kagome dropped to her knees beside him and placed a steadying hand on his side.

For a moment Sesshoumaru was uncertain how to react: he wanted nothing more than to hit her, bat her away with his poison-claws for having the audacity to have touched him at all. However, his reactions were slowed, and he required his arm for balance.

"You should just stay down," she said softly. "I don't think either of us is fit to be walking around right now."

What he couldn't do physically, he opted for doing verbally. "Remove your hand from this Sesshoumaru," he stated, every fibre of his being exuding threat. He saw her arm shoot back, as if she'd been burned. The girl scuttled back, teetering on the balls of her feet.

"I'm just trying to help!" she said angrily, her voice tinged with hurt.

"I do not require your help," Sesshoumaru replied obstinately, and he saw her face screw up in anger.

"You don't have to be such a jerk!" she ground out suddenly, startling him with the volume of her voice and her words.

He scowled darkly, about to open his mouth and reply when she cut him off. "We're obviously stuck here together. Would it _kill_ you to try and _co-operate_ for once so we can get out of here, or figure out what's going on at the very least?"

He couldn't tell if she was shaking with anger or exhaustion, but he could see her form waver, and he knew she was about to fall.

"Miko," he said in a low warning.

"I didn't ask for this to happen!" she shouted angrily, but anything else she had been about to say was lost as she toppled forward. She tried to catch herself with her arms, which she spread out before her, but they crumpled beneath her and she went sprawling into Sesshoumaru, the metal of his armour digging into her side. In a purely unconscious movement he reached out with his arm, wrapping it securely around her and pulling her face away from the sharp spikes that adorned his shoulder.

She landed with a loud 'oof' atop him, and looked down into his surprised face with equally wide-eyes.

—

"Kagome? _Kagome_?!"

"Inuyasha, don't shake her like that," Miroku interjected quickly, placing a steadying hand on the hanyou's arm. "You'll hurt her."

"What happened?" Inuyasha snapped, his concern and alarm coming out in misdirected anger.

Ever aloofly, Miroku replied evenly, "I don't know. It would seem, however, that there is some sort of strange connection between Sesshoumaru-sama and Kagome-sama."

With an indiscriminate noise of fury, Inuyasha turned towards the prone form of his half-brother, who laid slumped, face-first in the dirt where he had fallen. He drew Tetsusaiga from its sheath again and walked grim-faced to Sesshoumaru.

"Inuyasha," Sango warned, watching him with a weary expression as she cradled Kagome to her chest. Shippou peered in concern over her shoulder, gently placing his palm against Kagome's sleeping face.

"What did he do to her?" Inuyasha snarled, his body vibrating with rage.

"Whatever it was, it may not be undone by killing him," Miroku said. "It would be best to leave him be for now."

"If he hurts her..." Inuyasha began, and his face darkened, his knuckles turning white as he gripped Tetsusaiga. "It would have been to get to me," he said softly.

"It may not have been his doing," Miroku replied calmly, trying to alleviate his friend's apparent worry. "Why would he render himself vulnerable? No, it seemed instead as if they were both simultaneously seized by an outside force."

"Does this have anything to do with Kagome's dreams, do you think?" Sango questioned softly, her brown eyes wide with concern. "She _is_ asleep."

"Perhaps," Miroku replied, frowning and bringing his hand up to his chin as he pondered the point. "In fact, it may be. But how then does Sesshoumaru enter into it?"

"He was present in one of her dreams," Sango pointed out. "He saved her from the storms."

Miroku frowned, glancing from Kagome's still form to Sesshoumaru's, lost in thought. "Curious," the purple-clad monk said at last.

"How do we wake her up?" Inuyasha questioned gruffly, walking back towards the rest of the party.

Miroku shrugged. "For now all we can do is wait and see." Gently, the holy man placed two fingers to Kagome's forehead and closed his eyes, tapping into his own spiritual powers, such as they were. By all appearances Kagome was simply in a deep sleep, but it seemed nothing they tried would wake her.

Certainly, if Inuyasha's shaking hadn't done it (or given her brain damage), pure force wouldn't. In a way he was not surprised when he encountered a barrier keeping him from touching Kagome's mind.

When this had all begun, he had checked Kagome for signs of outside influence and harmful spells. Nothing had come up then, and even now the only barrier that stood between him and Kagome seemed to be of her own making. He recognised the tell-tale comforting pink of her spiritual powers and reached out to them in greeting, only to be sharply rebuked on contact.

His eyes snapped open, and he looked down at her in surprise.

"It would appear," he said softly as Inuyasha and the rest looked at him eagerly. "That Kagome simply doesn't want to wake up."

"What do you mean 'doesn't want to wake up'?" Sango asked quickly before Inuyasha could speak.

"There is a barrier protecting her mind and preventing me from reaching her and drawing her back to consciousness."

"I thought you said there was no outside influence on her!" Inuyasha interjected suddenly. "What do you _mean_ 'there's a barrier'?"

"I hadn't finished," Miroku said firmly, casting a reproving look at both parties. "The barrier belongs to Kagome. It was her powers that prevented my entry to her mind, and that are keeping her asleep."

"Why is she doing this?" Shippou said suddenly. "And why is Sesshoumaru part of all of this?"

No one had a good answer to either of those questions, and so they were silent for a moment, looking down at the still slumbering Kagome.

Miroku frowned suddenly, rising and walking over to Sesshoumaru's prone figure. "Perhaps..." he said aloud, his fingers lingering by his chest in the perfect picture of indecisiveness.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, moving to stand beside him and looking down at Sesshoumaru.

"Kagome's mind cannot be reached, but it is possible that Sesshoumaru's may be."

"You're crazy," Inuyasha said flatly, staring at his friend is disbelief. "Either that, or you've got a death wish."

"He may be able to provide answers." Miroku countered smoothly.

"It's Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha shouted, gesturing angrily down at his half-brother. "Even if you did wake him, he'd never tell us anything."

"It may be worth a try!" Miroku argued.

"Inuyasha's right," Sango declared, adding to the conversation. "It's too dangerous."

"But—"

"No," said Inuyasha firmly, cutting Miroku off. "We'll wait and see what happens. If Sesshoumaru found you poking around in his mind you'd be dead before any of us could move." He scowled. "Take Kagome inside, I'll bring him." He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder to indicate Sesshoumaru. "We'll stay here tonight and see if she wakes."

Sango rose and effortlessly carried Kagome's smaller form into Kaede's hut, settling her down as comfortably as she could and covering her with blankets. Sesshoumaru was dragged unceremoniously through the dirt to the far corner of the hut, where Inuyasha sat guard, Tetsusaiga clutched tightly in his hands.

Slowly, restfulness settled over the group; Shippou curled up against Kagome, and Sango sat, Kagome's hand clutched tightly in her own, her eyes beginning to slowly drift closed in exhaustion.

Only Miroku and Inuyasha remained awake.

Though the fire had died down, Inuyasha could still easily discern the speculative look in Miroku's eyes as he stared at Sesshoumaru's still body, and he would readily admit that it concerned him. He knew that Sesshoumaru would easily destroy Miroku in a fight and he knew that what his friend was considering would lead to just that.

Settling himself more comfortably, Inuyasha carefully watched them both.

—

**Author's Note: **The title for this chapter is also from _The Hollow Men_, a fantastic poem by T. S. Eliot.

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this story so far! I appreciate your feedback and encouragement. I've gone one more week before RL settles down a little bit — I'll be out of town from Thursday to Sunday, so there is still the possibility that next week's chapter will be late — but hopefully not (I've managed startlingly well so far — though that's mostly due to Incomprehensible being downright _amazing_).

Anyway, as always, let me know what you think! We'll see you next Tuesday (hopefully).


	8. Pandora's Box

Beta'd by the ever-lovely, ever-funny and all-knowing **Incomprehensible**, without whom I'd be a lazy dweeb.

—

_**Chapter VII: Pandora's Box**_

—

"_Vision without action is a daydream, action without vision is a nightmare."_

— Japanese Proverb

—

Though he sat eerily still – legs folded comfortably in the lotus position and his staff resting in its familiar spot, cradled between his neck and shoulder – Miroku's mind was a whirr. Little of his inner turmoil showed on his remarkably placid face, and he allowed his eyes to drift shut in the facade of sleep. He knew Inuyasha wouldn't be fooled — the hanyou's hearing was far too acute to miss the subtle signs that gave away his wakeful state. Still, it allowed his eyes to find rest, even if his mind could not.

It was a foolish idea from the start. Inuyasha had been right when he'd insisted that Sesshoumaru's was a dangerous mind to go poking around in. Miroku didn't doubt in the slightest that Inuyasha's half-brother would react violently and immediately to any intrusion into his subconscious. And yet....

Sesshoumaru's mind was his Pandora's Box. He was, by nature, a curious man who sought to understand and master what he could — and this was an opportunity far too good to pass up. It was likely that he would never again see the opportunity to peer into the mind of a being such as Sesshoumaru, and by so doing gain insight into his own mind, and his place in the universe.

Furthermore, it would help Kagome: it was clear there was a link between his friend and the daiyoukai, and, since he hadn't been able to find it while searching Kagome's mind, it was eminently possible that the link lay within Sesshoumaru. By severing that line, he could break the connection between the two of them and protect Kagome.

Nevertheless, the question remained: would that be enough to placate Sesshoumaru's fury? It was a gamble, certainly. And, as with many vices, Miroku had a soft spot for gambling.

The purple-clad monk allowed his eyes to open slowly, adjusting the darkened light in the room. Inuyasha's eyes were closed, and he sat, cradling Tetsusaiga to his chest in position not dissimilar to his own.

The hanyou's ears twitched occasionally, tracking the slightest noise. He was most certainly aware — and even as the thought crossed Miroku's mind, Inuyasha's eye cracked open, revealing a golden iris trained directly on him.

Miroku inclined his head politely and stood, shaking the stiffness out of his joints and religiously ridding his robes of dirt. Inuyasha's eyes followed him wordlessly, and, though Miroku did his best to ignore the hanyou's gaze, he could feel it boring into his back as he stretched.

"How is she?" Miroku asked softly, coming to a stop beside and slightly behind Sango's left shoulder to peer down at the prone bodies of his sickly friend and hopefully to-be wife.

"No change," Inuyasha replied gruffly, his eyes flicking over to Kagome's still form. "From either of them," he added as an afterthought, a grimace stretching his mouth downward as he glared at his brother's prone form, the sneer in his voice declaring his hate for his half-sibling.

Miroku nodded solemnly, leaning back against the wall and holding the rings on his staff with his left hand to keep them from jingling and waking Sango or Shippou.

"Any idea what's wrong with her?" Inuyasha asked after a long moment, his voice thick and rough, as if to keep the swirling concerned emotions hidden. It hadn't worked, but Miroku didn't comment, instead focusing on searching Kagome's unconscious face.

"No," Miroku said softly, shaking his head. "I still think—"

"No," Inuyasha reiterated sternly, cutting the human off. "I know what you're thinking, and it'll get you killed."

Miroku's gaze flicked to Sesshoumaru's form, and he frowned. "And if they don't wake?"

He heard a sharp intake of breath behind him, barely perceptible, even in the quiet hut. "She_ will_ wake," he stated, his words sounding more accusing than confident – as if Inuyasha was trying to convince himself of that fact. Miroku nodded anyway, inwardly echoing his friend's sentiments.

And yet, when morning came, they had not yet woken. The two of them lay eerily still, save for the soft rise and fall of their chest that was the only outward sign that they were still alive. Shippou lay, curled up by Kagome's side, refusing to leave her even for breakfast — and in truth, none of them had wanted to be far from her side, just in case she began to wake up, so breakfast was eaten hurriedly on the floor of the hut.

"I've never seen anything like it," Kaede said ponderously, her aged face lined with concern as she glanced at the time-travelling young girl. "Ye say she has been seeing him in her dreams?"

"Once," Sango replied reluctantly, watching the old miko's face intently, scrutinizing each wrinkle and line for an answer.

"That we know of," Miroku added. He ignored Sango's angry glare.

"Hmm," Kaede said, feeling Kagome's pulse and checking her temperature with the back of her hand. "I sense no demonic influence in her aura," she said, as if musing aloud, running her hand soothingly over the slumbering girl's brow in a maternal gesture. The old miko sat back, joints creaking and popping loudly in the stale air. "This is beyond my skill," she announced at last.

Her words seemed to darken the mood in the room, and hung heavily in the air like a dark cloud.

"So, what do we do?" Shippou asked finally, breaking the silence, twisting a lock of Kagome's hair in his chubby fingers.

"We wait," Sango said softly.

"We've _been _waiting!" Shippou shouted, abandoning the lock of hair in favour of wrapping his small paws around Kagome's arm. "We should _do_ something."

Inuyasha stood suddenly and turned, walking jerkily out from the hut and bounding off into the distance.

"What—?"

"Leave him be," Miroku said softly, cutting off Sango's question. "I think Inuyasha just needs a moment to himself."

The room lapsed back into silence, as its occupants sat, feeling useless and hopeless.

Miroku stood, moving with a purposeful stride that spoke of resolution. He placed his staff down on the floor and sat down carefully next to Sesshoumaru, making sure to sit on the demon lord's left side.

He wasn't sure if being on the side of Sesshoumaru's amputated arm would truly make much of a difference, but he was hoping that the added time it would take for his right arm to reach him would be enough time for him to do something, should the slumbering lord awaken and decide to test his mobility by tearing Miroku to shreds.

"What are you doing?" Sango asked, watching him warily with mixed fright and curiosity.

"Getting answers," replied Miroku stiffly, stretching out a hand to hover over Sesshoumaru's brow, hesitantly letting it rest on the blue crescent moon that was emblazoned on the pale skin beneath the silver-white fringe.

"Stop!" Sango hissed, a tinge of panic and anger colouring her voice.

"Ye know not of what ye do," Kaede warned. "The candle does not pity the moth that flies too close."

"Yet the moth is drawn still," Miroku muttered in reply, and, opening his mind and closing his eyes, he reached out to touch Sesshoumaru.

—

His face was scant inches from Kagome's, and she could feel the surprised brush of breath that curled over her cheek, tickling the hair that lay at her temple. For a moment, she was staring straight into his eyes, close enough that she could see the individual flecks of amber, and, astonishingly, green that made up the piercing eyes she was becoming unaccustomedly familiar with. And then, before she could fully process what had happened, she was flying.

Kagome's brief, gravity-defying stint ended abruptly when she made rather violent contact with the ground. She let out a grunt of pain as she felt her tailbone hit the ground hard, and instinctively she tucked herself into a ball and rolled onto her side.

He hadn't meant to shove her — just as he had reached out to catch her by pure instinct, he'd shoved her away out of surprise at seeing her so close. Anything that had come that close to him – with the exception of Rin – died shortly thereafter.

He heard her moan in pain and struggle to sit up. As gracefully as he could manage, Sesshoumaru raised himself up to a sitting position, balancing himself on his one arm and tucking his legs beneath him.

"What was that for?!" she demanded furiously, rubbing at her backside with one hand and wincing as she came into contact with what were soon to be large bruises.

"You were invading this Sesshoumaru's space," he said imperiously, eyeing her with something akin to disgust. "You are lucky I did not see it fit to remove your head."

"It wouldn't have done you any good," she muttered angrily, tucking her legs beneath her and standing. She wobbled slightly before steadying herself. "Weirdly enough, I think I feel better."

He didn't dignify her inane prattling with a response, though he noted that he, too, seemed to be improving. His mind was certainly clearer, and the dizziness seemed to be passing. Carefully, Sesshoumaru attempted standing and was pleased to discover it was without the dizzying nausea this time.

"You will tell this Sesshoumaru how to get out of here." Sesshoumaru demanded through clenched teeth, not particularly enjoying the fact that he was forced to rely on the girl for answers.

She let out a loud 'ha!' and stretched her arms over her head in complete disregard of the fact that she was standing within striking distance of a daiyoukai — and a potentially not-so-even-tempered one to boot. "If I knew, would I still be here?"

"What you choose to do is none of my concern, Miko," he replied sardonically. Privately, he was beginning to believe her. The idea that his half-brother's miko might not know anything was not a difficult concept to wrap one's head around, but he found it somewhat difficult to accept that she was not somehow responsible for his current predicament. It was, after all, not _his_ idea — and since she remained the only other person involved, it was a simple deduction that the blame lay with her. And yet..., she truly _did_ seem as clueless in the matter as he. But if she wasn't responsible, then who was? And more importantly, what did they want?

Kagome scowled, oblivious to Sesshoumaru's inner monologue. "I already told you: I don't know. But I _do_ know that you want to get out, and that I want to get out, and I think the only way to do that is for us to work together and figure it out. Is that really so hard?"

Sesshoumaru sneered in distaste. "I have no need of your... assistance. If the way out must be found, I shall do it alone." With that he turned and walked steadily out of the clearing, leaving Kagome standing, staring open-mouthed in shock after him.

"You can't just _leave_!" the exasperated woman yelled after him. "What am I supposed to _do_?"

He ignored her, walking purposefully in the direction his body was facing, keeping an eye on the trees as he passed them. He had not yet explored the dream world they seemed to share — on the surface it seemed expansive enough, yet the clearing seemed to be the epicentre. How far did it stretch, he wondered, and what would he find at the end of the world?

Back in the clearing, Kagome watched as he faded from sight and she shivered, a sudden ominous cold coming over her. "Fine," she muttered out loud, wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm. "I'll just figure it out on my own!" She sniffed angrily. "Jerk," she added, throwing the insult in the direction Sesshoumaru had gone, half-hoping his sensitive ears would pick it up.

"Right," she said to herself, finding the sound of her own voice reassuring in the quiet clearing. "There has to be a way out somewhere. All I need to do is make myself wake up."

She pinched herself hard on the arm, leaving crescent moon-shaped indentations where her fingernails had dug into her skin. When that didn't work, Kagome sighed and rubbed the abused skin tenderly. "I didn't really think that would work. If being tossed around by an overly-paranoid daiyoukai doesn't do it, it'd be a shock if my fingernails did."

Kagome snorted in amusement and then sighed as her brief-lived humour faded. "Where are you, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quietly. "I need you."

A large, dewy drop of rain fell, hitting the ragged, splintered lip of the well beside her with a loud 'plunk' and Kagome jumped in surprise. She looked up at the darkening sky, squinting as she saw the rain clouds, dark and foreboding, gathering overhead.

Kagome half ran, half stumbled as she took cover under a nearby tree just as the clouds split open with an enormous _crack_, and the heavens unleashed their fury upon the dream world.

—

**A/N:** Eep! It's been a while since I updated. Feel free to pelt me with rotten fruit — I am deserving. Thanks to anyone who's stuck with me — I'll be continuing to update on Tuesdays as usual from now on. (Special thanks to **media** — I'm fine, and I'm so sorry for keeping you hanging! Hopefully you'll enjoy today's update, and I'll do my best to keep updating on Tuesdays in future.)

I've got the lurgi pretty badly — (you know, the one where you've got no motivation, think everything you've ever written is complete tosh, spend hours re-writing the same three sentences until you go cross-eyed, and get distracted by _every little thing_ that happens nearby — that one). I think I'm coming out the other side now (there is light at the end of the tunnel!) and that's mostly due to a much needed kick-in-the-pants from Incomprehensible — so, as usual, her magnificence is a major part of why there's an update today.


	9. Fumbling Towards Metaphysics

With huge and heartfelt thanks to **Incomprehensible** for her amazing and hardcore beta skillz (yes, with a 'z'). :) Feel free to shower her with affection, it's well deserved.

—

_**Chapter VIII: Fumbling Towards Metaphysics**_

—

_"He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it."_

— Douglas Adams, _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_

—

Inuyasha lifted his head to the sky, breathing in the clean air deeply and trying to rid himself of the musk of sweat and fear that had permeated the small hut. The anxiety and concern that had rolled off the others in waves had been stifling, and, though he was loath to be parted from Kagome, he'd needed a break.

The half demon crouched, well-practised muscles coiling tightly, practically vibrating with energy before he jumped, leaping high into the air and landing silently on a high branch. He found comfort high above the earth, a freedom from the oppressive, grounding feel of the rich soil. Up high, the sky seemed clearer and problems seemed less grave.

Leaping with startling accuracy, Inuyasha jumped from branch to branch, running aimlessly towards the horizon, seeking solitude and freedom. How long had it been since he'd simply gone running in the nearest direction, purposeless and free of obligation?

Sometimes he wondered, both when he was most frustrated and most grateful, what he had done to deserve Kagome. There was no denying that she occasionally vexed him beyond belief — her strange habits, and unwavering moral obligations keeping him from simply going his own way and doing as he pleased, as he had for so many years before he'd known her. He often wondered then what life would be like without her.

Though he would be free to come and go as he pleased, Inuyasha knew that he'd have nothing to come and go for. He had realized, some time ago, that she was the one that gave him the strength to live with purpose: it was she who had encouraged him to stop and help others — though he knew that most of the people they helped were of the same kind as those who had picked on him and shunned him as a child just because of who his father was. Though Kagome remained blissfully unaware of the judgement in their eyes, he wasn't.

It was only because of her, however, that he discovered the reward that came from proving them wrong and earning their admiration.

And yet, he still couldn't quell the urge within him to simply run away. Never before had he been responsible for anyone but himself, and now he had an entire pack to take care of. It terrified him far more than he would ever admit aloud.

Every time Kagome turned to him expectantly, or Shippou scurried off alone, or Miroku endangered his life to protect what was rightfully his responsibility to protect, his heart lurched in terror. After all, how could he protect anyone when he had so utterly failed to protect the first person who had mattered to him?

Though he had come to know, and respect Kagome as her own person, he couldn't shake the small part of him that hoped fervently that, by protecting Kagome, he might in some measure redeem himself for what happened to Kikyou. But no matter how many times they won – or when survived, limping away from the battle field, bloodied, beaten but not defeated – the lingering fear that he would fail them all as he'd failed her remained. And now, Kagome lay beyond his ability to protect; attacked by some outside force that he couldn't recognize or fight.

He couldn't stop his mind from drawing the parallels.

Inuyasha paused, crouching on a wide branch, the wind lifting his white hair and brushing it across his face. He considered turning back, wondering how he'd come so far out — Edo was barely visible in the distance, even with his keen eyes from his high vantage point. The wind picked up again, blowing the complex concoction of forest scents his way and he turned, his ears pricking forwards. He'd caught the distinctive smell of unwashed kappa, and he knew that could only mean one thing.

Moving gracefully through the trees, he came to a clearing and, peering down through the foliage, he caught sight of Sesshoumaru's curious entourage.

The young girl was sitting happily atop the dragon, her small legs beating out strange tattoos of sound on its side.

"Sesshoumaru-sama said to remain here," she announced happily, causing Jaken to stop in his tracks, his leg raised mid step, and look around in alarm as if her words might bring the wrath of Sesshoumaru down upon his head.

"I know that, you foolish girl!" the green imp snapped in reply. "Sesshoumaru-sama left instructions with _me_!"

If Rin picked up on the slightly hostile tone to his voice she made no mention of it, choosing instead to hum happily along to the rhythm she was beating out against Ah-Uh's ribs. Ah-Un shifted, no doubt to allow her to begin to beat a new part of its side, their tail flicking lazily in the fading sunlight.

"Jaken?" Rin asked softly, picking at the hem of her kimono. "When do you think Sesshoumaru-sama will return?"

Inuyasha shifted slightly at her question, knowing full well that his half-brother lay undignified and unconscious on Kaede's floor.

"Sesshoumaru-sama will return when his business is complete!" Jaken squawked in reply, his small green arms waving emphatically.

"I know," Rin replied with an earnest certainty that stopped both Jaken and Inuyasha in their tracks, the implicit trust in her tone ringing clear. "I just wondered how long it might be, that's all."

If it had been just Jaken, Inuyasha would have turned and left. He had no love of the kappa, and no desire to spend any more time than was strictly necessary around him — it was a mystery why Sesshoumaru put up with him — his stench alone was enough to send anyone with a nose running for hills. However, he wasn't completely heartless, and he doubted that the girl could survive indefinitely in the woods — particularly if her only caregivers were a sycophantic kappa and a lazy dragon. Besides, Kagome would absolutely murder him if she ever learned that he'd left her alone.

He leapt down from the tree, landing with a soft 'thump' in the lush grass at its base. Jaken gave a yelp of surprise and staggered backwards, clutching the staff of two heads to his breast in fright. Ah-Un rose, Rin clinging to its mane for balance.

"I know where Sesshoumaru is," Inuyasha announced. "And I'm here to take you to him."

Jaken's eyes narrowed suspiciously, not quite foolish enough to be satisfied with Inuyasha's more-than-lacking explanation. "Why would the great Sesshoumaru-sama send a worthless half-breed to do his bidding?"

Inuyasha seethed, his claws itching to grab the kappa by the neck and shake him. He stepped forwards, nearly giving in to the temptation, before turning to the young girl.

"I don't really care if he comes or not, but it might be a while before Sesshoumaru comes back for you. I can take you to him, if you like."

Rin frowned, clearly waging a great internal debate. "Sesshoumaru-sama said to remain here."

"Trust me, kiddo," Inuyasha said wryly. "If you go to him, all you'll be doing is saving him a trip. He won't be coming back here for a long time."

"What have you done to Sesshoumaru-sama, half-breed?!" Jaken screeched, waving the staff of two heads in Inuyasha's face.

"I haven't done anything to that bastard!" Inuyasha replied huffily, crossing his arms in the bell sleeves of his haori and 'keh'ing quietly. "And _he's_ more likely done something to Kagome, so I'm not feeling particularly sympathetic." He turned to Rin. "Look, kid, are you coming or not? 'Cause I'm not going to stick around all day."

Rin nodded, pulling on Ah-Un's reins. "Come on, Jaken, or you'll get left behind!" she sing-songed back to the kappa over her shoulder, the dragon already beginning to rise into the air. Inuyasha took off to the trees, heading back towards Edo, just a red blur dashing from branch to branch. With an indignant cry Jaken latched onto the dragon's tail and held on for dear life.

—

The phantom trees of the dream world looked, unsurprisingly, repetitive. Sesshoumaru had reached what seemed to be the 'end' of the fabricated world, and it had simply begun repeating. The same group of trees copied over and over again, stretching out as far as he could see.

He'd travelled farther already than any human could have hoped to manage in a day, his keen senses on full alert for any other signs of life. There was nothing but the lingering scent of Kagome laying heavy on the air. It seemed that no matter where he went within the dream world, she was inescapable.

Sesshoumaru suspected that it was due to the fact that she was the only thing around that seemed to have a scent at all. Though they were tangible, and felt real to his hands — their bark had scratched his skin, and leaves leaked juice as he'd shredded them with his claws — the trees (and the rest of the world) seemed to have no scent; no presence.

The demon scowled in displeasure. It seemed he would have to find another way to get out.

He stilled suddenly, his sleeves fluttering around him in an echo of his previous movement. His brows drew together as his focus drew inwards, towards the sudden feeling that tickled in the back of his mind: he was no longer alone.

Automatically he lashed out, pushing the foreign presence away and rebelling against the inherent feeling of wrongness another's presence in his own mind presented. He felt it recoil, and he probed it curiously, searching it and exposing it.

It was a simple matter of control. Control was something Sesshoumaru had in great abundance, and had no difficulty exercising. He exerted pressure on the invading mind, closing his eyes and allowing himself to be drawn inwards, and peering curiously out.

He was met with a wash of spiritual power, and he recoiled. It was not strong enough to do much other than sting, but he could feel his hackles rise even so, every fibre of his being rebelling against something so unnatural to him. His first inclination was to suspect the miko, but he dismissed it quickly — it didn't feel like her, though, it was not entirely unfamiliar, either.

Though he couldn't quite smell the other, he had a sense of their aura and scent nonetheless, and he knew he'd come across it before.

Curiously he prodded the other mind, and then lashed out quickly, giving the equivalent of a mental slap in response to the spiritual power.

It was disconcerting to know that someone capable of wielding spiritual power had access to his mind. He did not like feeling vulnerable, but even he could not deny the danger it presented.

The mind reached out in reply, deferent and soothing. It was a curious change from the spiritual power he'd been hit with before.

_What do you want_? Though there were no words spoken in a way that could be properly classified, the meaning was clear.

_To help_.

For a moment he considered it — but he could not rationalise admitting defeat and accepting this unknown, spiritual power-wielding being's help. Though it was prideful, he would rather remain forever in the dream world than concede to someone unknown.

_No._ The message was reinforced with a mental shove that left no pause for arguments. Sesshoumaru shut his mind, locking himself in and attempting to lock the foreign presence out.

He wasn't fast enough — it reached out brushing his mind again. _Please_. _Let me help you_. He felt himself shifting, his mind being pulled away, and he felt the dream world spinning, disappearing beneath his feet, and, most alarmingly, it _hurt_.

He writhed, trying desperately to get out of the grip of the hands that had taken hold of him. He felt another wave of spiritual power surge into him, licking across his skin and setting all of his nerve endings afire. Sesshoumaru reached out with his claws, trying vainly to fight off his invisible attacker.

_Stop! Stop!_ The other's voice called frantically. _Stop fighting me!_

He fought harder still, pooling the energy of his youki and sending it straight at his attacker, his primal instincts lashing out with all the ferocity of a cornered animal. His insides warred against the dichotomy that was caused by the mixing of spiritual power and youki, his claws turning against himself in his frenzy and beginning to shred his skin.

Suddenly, he smelled the arid, copper tang of blood in the air, mixed with sweat, terror and _her_. Even now he couldn't escape her, and he screamed in fury, pain and frustration. His eyes opened, red and wild with frenzy, and he sat up. He caught a glimpse of movement to his left, and he reacted, faster than any human eye could track, sinking his claws hard into soft flesh, and catching the scent of human blood mixing with his own on the air.

—

**A/N: **Slightly later than usual (but still Tuesday!) — and entirely by my fault. :) I had company over this weekend and was busy. A slightly evil ending — and hopefully less of a filler chapter than last one was (next chapter promises to be a bit more action-full — I'm sorry that it's moving quite slowly, but there's a certain amount of ground that needs to be covered, unfortunately).

Concrit is, as always, welcome. :D


	10. Handbags at Dawn

This chapter is brought to you by **Incomprehensible**_**,**_ who waded through my jumbled, sleep-deprivation-induced, English-but-not-quite-English grammar and spelling and turned it into something legible.

—

_**Chapter IX: Handbags at Dawn**_

—

"_In dreams begins responsibility."_

— William Butler Yeats

—

Sesshoumaru panted, his chest rising and falling visibly, his eyes wild as he looked around the hut he found himself in.

Slowly, clarity returned to his frenzied mind and he became acutely aware that he was not alone. The taijiya that travelled with his half-brother was sitting across from him, watching him in horror, her large weapon clutched tightly in her hands. Behind her lay Kagome, utterly motionless and pale — so pale that he feared irrationally that she might be dead — but he could just barely perceive the gentle rise and fall of her chest that assured him that she still lived. The fox kit that travelled with them was at her side, clutching her arm in fear.

His immediate concern, however, was the monk, in whom he'd embedded the claws of his right hand. He pulled his claws out, shaking them slightly to remove some of the blood before wiping them on the monk's sleeve.

Miroku slumped forwards groaning, clutching his injured side.

"You invaded this Sesshoumaru's mind, houshi," the daiyoukai stated calmly, an icy undertone inflected in his words. Keeping pressure on his side with one hand, Miroku levered himself up with his other, and, shakily, looked up at the demon lord who sat regally before him.

"Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama," he all but wheezed, his body wracked with pain. He saw Sango tense out of the corner of his eye, and clutch hiraikotsu closer to herself, as if preparing to strike with it. "No, Sango," Miroku said firmly, despite his body's shaking state.

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes flicked between the taijiya and the monk, his mind calculating and re-calculating the possible outcomes. "Your method was reckless, and invasive, and yet surprisingly effective. Do not do it again."

"Kagome," Miroku said weakly. Sango rushed to Miroku's side, gathering him in a protective embrace and placing her hiraikotsu between them and the demon lord. She glared up at him with astonishing ferocity, and he was instantly wary of an attack.

Though he could easily deal with her under normal conditions, his body was still weak and vision blurry, not to mention the fact that the taijiya had remarkably good reflexes. It was not a battle he wished to engage in if it could be avoided.

"What did you do to her?" Shippou shouted suddenly, concern for Kagome overriding his fear of Sesshoumaru. Sango hushed him quickly, but the kitsune's green eyes stared furiously at Sesshoumaru, steadfast.

Sesshoumaru's brow rose and he sneered slightly. "This Sesshoumaru has done nothing to the girl. I have better things to do than waste my time worrying about foolish human miko."

"She didn't wake up," Shippou said, his voice tinged with panic. "You have to wake her up."

Personally, Sesshoumaru considered the miko much more amiable when she was asleep — provided, of course, that he wasn't dragged down into sleep with her. It was a rare sight to see her so silent, and he thought it would be markedly beneficial to all if she remained that way indefinitely.

Rising, still slightly shaky on his feet, Sesshoumaru stood still for a moment, gathering his bearings. The world reeled slightly around him, and he desperately tried to keep from falling. Closing his eyes, he willed his vision to stop spinning. "The miko is no concern of mine," he stated flatly, reopening his eyes and discovering in pleasure that the dizziness was fading.

He turned, moving to stride out of the small cabin.

Sesshoumaru caught his half-brother's scent mere seconds before Inuyasha came barrelling through the door, Tetsusaiga in hand, smashing the side of the hut to smithereens in his haste. "What the hell did you do, Sesshoumaru?"

He watched Inuyasha's expression morph from confusion as he surveyed the scene inside the hut to worry as his gaze settled on Kagome's eerily still form, and fury when he glanced down at Miroku, who had become alarmingly pale and was lying limp in Sango's arms. And then he watched as fury morphed into an expression of steadfast determination, and Inuyasha widened his stance, raising Tetsusaiga in clear challenge.

"I have done nothing but defend myself against an un-provoked attack, little brother," Sesshoumaru stated, hoping to avoid a conflict but not willing to allow Inuyasha to see just how weak he was feeling.

A spasm of anger crossed Inuyasha's face, and he turned to glare at the still form of Miroku briefly before returning his eyes to Sesshoumaru's placid form. "I told him not to do it," he muttered, almost to himself. "You didn't have to stab him. He was only trying to help you, you bastard!"

"On the contrary," Sesshoumaru replied, his tone sounding almost blasé, "he invaded my mind without permission. I was merely invoking my right to self-defence."

Inuyasha scowled, well aware that Sesshoumaru had a point. That was, after all, exactly why he'd warned Miroku not to attempt it. He should have _known_. He had watched Miroku all night — fully aware of the long, contemplative glances the monk had thrown his half-brother's way, and he'd known exactly what Miroku was planning.

If he hadn't left....

Miroku was his responsibility as much as Kagome was, and both of them were in this state due to Sesshoumaru. There was really only one thing for it.

Inuyasha lifted Tetsusaiga and glowered at his half-brother. "What the hell have you done to Kagome, bastard?"

"The miko is not my concern," Sesshoumaru sneered in reply. "Your inability to keep that ridiculous girl out of trouble is no fault of mine." Though her constant interference was quickly becoming a problem — a problem he had yet to come up with an adequate solution to.

Inuyasha scoffed. "You expect me to believe that?" He lifted Tetsusaiga as high as he could without scraping the roof and dashed forwards, bringing it down in a mighty swing where Sesshoumaru had been standing moments before.

Inuyasha was predictable as ever. The way he lifted his sword, signalling his next strike, could be read even by someone who had never fought with him before. Sesshoumaru dodged gracefully, Tetsusaiga's blade coming closer to him than he would have liked. His reflexes were still dulled slightly. It would be best to end this quickly, he surmised.

Darting forward, fingers glowing green with acid, he lashed out, catching the edge of Inuyasha's haori as the hanyou ducked out the way.

"Too slow," Inuyasha taunted bravely. He leapt around Sesshoumaru, attempting to come up behind him, but Sesshoumaru was far too quick.

Whirling around, Sesshoumaru released his acid whip, burning a dark brand in the floor where Inuyasha had stood just seconds before.

Inuyasha jumped up against the wall and bounded towards his half-brother, swinging Tetsusaiga with his right hand, and, when Sesshoumaru dodged, hitting him with an open-fisted punch with his left. Pushed backward and winded by the punch, Sesshoumaru leaned heavily against the wall.

Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga over his shoulder and smirked haughtily at his half-brother. "Looks like you're a bit slower than usual, eh, Sesshoumaru? Feeling a bit weak?"

Sesshoumaru's ragged breathing filled the quiet hut, and his claws clenched as a low, primal growl filled the small hut. "Do not equate luck with skill, little brother. You have not won."

"Yet," Inuyasha taunted, the smirk still in place, leaping forwards just as Sesshoumaru did the same. Sesshoumaru deflected Inuyasha's swing of Tetsusaiga and used his momentum and weight to plow into Inuyasha, sending them both flying into the left-hand wall. The wood splintered and cracked, and finally gave way with a groan as the two inuyoukai fell through the newly-formed hole in the side of Kaede's hut.

The wood groaned as cracked as the rest of the hut began to come down.

Inuyasha staggered to his feet, shaking his head to clear his vision of the black spots he was seeing. "Get them out of there!" he shouted at Sango, heedless of Sesshoumaru as he watched the structure collapse.

Sango immediately began dragging Miroku outside, leaving Shippou to tug valiantly at Kagome's arm, making little progress. Leaping quick as a cat, Inuyasha scooped Kagome up, draping her over his back and leapt out through the door, catching a glimpse of fast-moving white as Sesshoumaru too took his leave of the collapsing hut.

A high cry of "Sesshoumaru-sama!" stopped Sesshoumaru in his tracks, and he looked up, somewhat surprised to see Ah-Un landing gracefully on a field of radishes before him. Rin was holding on to Ah-Un's mane, a large grin on her face as Jaken clung to the dragon's flank. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" the kappa echoed in relief, sliding off the dragon happily and staggering to his feet.

"Rin knew Sesshoumaru-sama would find her!" Rin stated happily, beginning to dismount.

"Rin," he called sharply, his tone clipped and unforgiving. "Stay where you are."

"Yes," she replied obediently, freezing in an uncomfortable position, half-on, half-off the dragon's side.

Inuyasha gently laid Kagome down on the ground next to Miroku, his golden eyes watching both his friends in concern.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Sango said, returning with Kagome's yellow pack which she'd dug out the wreckage of Kaede's hut and pulling out bandages. Carefully, she peeled away the top layers of his robes, and began to clean his wound with alcohol as she'd seen Kagome do before. Miroku groaned in pain, shifting away from her touch as she gently dabbed at the wound with a sterile cloth.

"And Kagome?" Inuyasha asked anxiously, watching her chest rise and fall slowly.

"No change," Sango replied curtly, a slightly more panicked edge creeping into her normally docile voice. "Whatever Miroku did seemed to have no affect on her."

Inuyasha nodded seriously. "Bandage him up and give him some of those pills that Kagome carries that fight infection." He stood, turning to his half-brother who was walking sedately towards his retainer and ward.

"Oi, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha shouted gruffly, causing Sesshoumaru to stop in his tracks. From a distance, he noticed that his younger brother had used substituted his name for the usual 'bastard'. "Do you know how to help her?"

"Whatever is affecting the miko is not of my design," he replied flatly, turning away again. "And I have no desire to help her."

Inuyasha scowled. "She's like this because of _you_! She was fine until you came along!"

Sesshoumaru turned, his eyebrow raised sardonically. "Has it ever occurred to you, _little brother," _he sneered, an acute leer twisting his lips downward unattractively, "that _I _was fine until _she_ came along?"

Inuyasha blinked, and then quickly changed tactics. "What happened to you when you were unconscious?"

Sesshoumaru, however, had had more than enough of the conversation, and turned wordlessly, gathering his youki cloud beneath his feet and rising up into the skies.

"Come back here, you bastard!" Inuyasha bellowed at his retreating form. "Come back!"

—

**A/N: **Finally! Some action. Hopefully it was enough to keep you interested — we'll find out what happens to Miroku and Kagome next week (same bat time, same bat channel…)

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! I appreciate your feedback and encouragement. Please remember to let me know what you think of this chapter! Feel free to point out things you disliked (or things you liked), and let me know if anything seemed awkward or didn't work for you.


	11. The Breath Before the Plunge

A huge thank-you to **Incomprehensible**, who is the most long-suffering of betas, and who is directly responsible for this chapter being written.

—

_**Chapter X: The Breath Before the Plunge**_

—

"_When we are dreaming alone it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality."_— Dom Helder Camara

—

Inuyasha stood, body tense and back turned to the small entourage, looking out onto the horizon as his ears swivelled madly from side to side, taking in the sounds of the approaching night.

Every fibre of his being wanted to chase after Sesshoumaru and force him to fix things, but a good part of him knew that Sesshoumaru was utterly unwilling to help, and that his place was by Kagome's side. He had made a promise to protect her....

They'd had many, _many _close calls over the years, and he had almost lost her many times. Kagome reminded him of his own mortality.

When he was on his own, his life was immaterial, but when her survival depended on his, he would stand in front of an avalanche if the need arose, and he'd make damn well sure that she would survive, even if he didn't.

In any case, Inuyasha pondered on how he could protect Kagome from her own mind. The questions whirled in front of his eyes as he stared at the horizon, and he briefly wondered what Sesshoumaru had to do with the situation.

Inuyasha wasn't fully convinced that his half-brother hadn't done anything; it just seemed so unlike Sesshoumaru - what did he have to gain by weakening himself in front of him? Sesshoumaru had been entirely at Inuyasha's mercy while he was unconscious, and that didn't seem like a situation the _Taiyoukai_ would willingly place himself in. What, then, was he playing at? And if it wasn't him, then who? Or what?

Each question that flitted through his mind seemed only to prompt more questions, but never any answers.

"Miroku should survive." Sango stated sourly, approaching from behind and startling him out of his thoughts.

"Keh!" Inuyasha grunted noncommittally. He had warned the monk....

It was beginning to look like everything could be written off as a consequence of his failings.

As if she could read his thoughts, Sango spoke, "It's not your fault." Her face hardened and her lips thinned angrily. "The monk is an idiot. For all his 'worldly aura', he's as impulsive as Kagome is. He's utterly unable to resist anything once it catches his attention; it was only a matter of time. You could hardly have stopped him."

"Keh," Inuyasha grunted again, wanting nothing more than to curl up into a small ball and pretend that none of this was happening. How could he go on now, with Kagome in this state? "How long will Miroku take to heal?"

"It'll be at least a week before he'll be up and moving," Sango said softly, swiping a hand over her eyes before turning to face him. She looked tired. "Two before he can leave the village. Or so says Kaede, anyway."

Inuyasha nodded solemnly, uncharacteristically accepting of the delay in the hunt for Naraku. "And Kaede...?" he asked hesitantly.

"Fine," Sango answered quickly, and Inuyasha could see her eyes harden with steely determination. "Do you know what Sesshoumaru wanted with her?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "I should probably talk to her. Whatever that bastard wanted, it can't be good."

—

She could feel the warmth of tears running down her cheeks, stark against the cold rain that pricked her skin like needles. She'd curled up next to well, sheltering herself from the wind and rain as best she could and simply given up.

Sesshoumaru, it seemed, had deserted her, and Inuyasha wasn't coming. For once, Kagome was entirely alone, and so far, her career as an independent fighter was off to auspicious beginnings.

Soaked, crying and miserable, the rain seemed to echo her mood, increasing her despair, and then becoming darker and grimmer in response to her thoughts.

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" She chanted, but to no avail. "Why is this happening to me?"

Thunder cracked loudly overhead, and, as if carried by the wind itself, a voice echoed in smooth, velvet tones across the dreamscape: "Perhaps the miko is not nearly as hapless as she seems."

She knew that voice.

On shaky legs she stood up and peered through the howling storm, hope blossoming in her chest. "Sesshoumaru?"

She'd never thought she'd see a day when she would be pleased to see the prickly taiyoukai, but there was no denying that he had a tempering effect on her dreams, and that was exactly what she needed right now.

"Sesshoumaru?" She called again, her voice louder, though no less stable than her legs as they shook and trembled in the cold, damp wind. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He was nowhere to be seen, but already the rain was lessening to a slow, easy drizzle, and the sun began to peek out behind the thinning clouds, lighting the drops caught on the leaves and painting a rainbow across the sky.

She smiled, relief flooding through her veins as the clouds split and a ray of sunlight kissed her upturned face. "Thank-you, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She said softly, closing her eyes and basking in the warm light.

—

"The bastard wanted to know about the well?" Inuyasha demanded harshly, his amber eyes flashing in the firelight as he leapt to his feet in a fit of pique.

Kaede, with the well-practised patience of the elderly, ignored him and continued pouring out tea. "Sesshoumaru-sama seemed particularly interested in its purpose and its connection with Kagome."

"But he can't know..." Sango began, and trailed off worriedly.

"He wouldn't be asking if he did!" Inuyasha growled out.

"But why now?" Sango asked, voicing the question that everyone was thinking. "Why is he suddenly interested?"

"Ye say that Kagome has only dreamed of Sesshoumaru once before?" Kaede asked, and her voice tinged slightly with scepticism.

Sango nodded. "But she's been having strange nightmares, about a storm. She said the rain was so powerful that it hurt, and that Sesshoumaru..." she paused, noting the murderous look on Inuyasha's face.

"Yes?" Kaede prompted.

"Sesshoumaru stopped the storm." Sango finished quietly.

Kaede hummed contemplatively, looking at the sleeping figure of Kagome.

Inuyasha waited a full minute, his foot tapping out impatient rhythms before giving in. "Well?" He snapped, more harshly than he would have liked, and he winced.

"I don't know what to make of it," Kaede said, sounding as puzzled as the rest of them felt. "I have heard of spirits visiting dreams to send messages, but never have I heard of two beings sharing one dream."

"You think that they were actually sharing a dream, then?" Sango asked softly.

"Sesshoumaru and Kagome dropped like bag of rocks the moment they set eyes on each other," Inuyasha ground out, sounding as if the words were actually painful for him to say. "I think it's fair to say they're connected somehow. And now," he snarled, "that bastard has gone off and left her like this. Now we have no way of reaching her!"

"Perhaps-" Kaede began, and then stopped.

"Well?" Inuyasha said again, snarling with frustration.

"It seems that there is a way to reach her." Kaede said softly.

Inuyasha stood up, looking attentive, his ears perking forward, and Sango straightened. "It seems to me," said Kaede slowly, voicing her thoughts aloud, "that the only person who can reach Kagome now, is Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha exploded with fury. "There is no way that bastard will do so much as raise a finger to help her! Don't you get it, you old hag?!" He shouted, growling at a wall of the hut as much as the old woman. "He left! He's gone and he ain't comin' back! We won't be getting any help from him, so you can stop that line of thought right there!"

"If he could be convinced...." Sango said, sounding hopeful.

"You can't convince Sesshoumaru of anything!" Inuyasha yelled, throwing his arms up into the air. "He's a thick-skulled bastard, and he won't do anything he doesn't want to, and he most certainly does _not_ want to do anything for me, or Kagome! He's probably out there laughing at us right now."

"But-" Sango began.

"_No!_" Inuyasha protested furiously, eyes narrowing on the woman. "You don't know him like I do - he'd rather watch her die! Hell, he'll probably enjoy it." The hanyou's ears flattened against his head in a gesture of dejection, and he turned around, bounding out the door of the hut and over to the base of a nearby tree and leaping up into its branches, effectively ending the conversation.

Sango stared silently after him.

Once again, Inuyasha found himself in need of his half-brother's help. Inuyasha turned to his half-brother after his mother had died, and, while he'd known that Sesshoumaru had never held him in very high regard, he had hoped that the shared blood between them would be enough to make Sesshoumaru feel obligated to keep him alive. Instead, the taiyoukai had turned on him, attacking him mercilessly until he'd run off, tail between his legs to lick his wounds.

He had no doubt that any favours he asked for now would be met with the same reception. As far as Sesshoumaru was concerned, Inuyasha was scum. And, as far as _Inuyasha_ was concerned, the feeling was entirely mutual.

In a burst of anger, Inuyasha grabbed a branch and snapped it off with a satisfyingly loud crack. He contented himself with pretending that it was Sesshoumaru's neck, and he flung it as far into the forest as he could.

—

"_Sesshoumaru_-_sama!_" Jaken wailed from his perch on Ah-Un, behind Rin. "What did that filthy hanyou mean about you being unconscious? What filthy lies are he-"

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru interrupted in a voice that could freeze fire. "Silence."

Jaken quailed and hid behind Rin. Pleased with the resounding silence, Sesshoumaru found his thoughts drifting back to his half-brother's miko. He smirked to himself as he thought of her, trapped in the dreamscape, forced to walk in circles until she managed to find a way out. _If_ she managed to find a way out.

Now there was a pleasing thought.

It did little to dissolve the very real problem that had presented itself, however. The miko had rendered him unconscious with a mere glance. He was tempted to believe her claim that she knew nothing about what was happening to them, however he was at a loss to explain what outside influence could produce such an effect. It had, at first, been annoying, but relatively harmless. This new development was most certainly not harmless.

Perhaps it would be best to simply kill the miko to prevent any re-occurrences.

It certainly seemed like an appealing idea, however, there was no denying the feeling of trepidation he felt. The miko had not woken when the monk had pulled him from sleep — would the same happen to him if she were to be killed? Would it continue to affect him, even without her? What then, was the trigger? And the source?

His thoughts turned back to his half-brother's loud-mouthed wench. _Perhaps the miko is not nearly as hapless as she seems_, he thought._ Perhaps she has orchestrated the whole thing._

To what end, though? She had been made just as vulnerable as he, more so, in fact.

Snarling, Sesshoumaru lifted himself higher into the air, breaking through the clouds. This was a problem that could not continue. It was time, perhaps, for some advice.

—

A/N: Well, it's been rather a long time. Needles to say, RL has kept me busy in the last little while. Unfortunately I will continue to have stuff on my plate in the next couple months, so I can't guarantee regular updates, but I do plan to continue this. Thanks very much to everyone who's been reading, and to anyone who's stuck around. You guys are awesome, and hopefully you'll continue to enjoy this.


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